OPINION: Sengol - From Eyesore To Cynosure

The sudden reemergence of 'Sengol', a traditional gold-silver sceptre, dating back to 1947, has sent most of the opposition in a tizzy. Its reappearance, from a forced oblivion, threatens the raison d'etre of the soulless brand of 'secularism', so audaciously nurtured by them over decades. The 'Sengol', now in focus, was given by the departing British to the Prime Minister designate Jawahar Lal Nehru on the eve of independence, to sanctify the historic transfer of power, and provide religio-cultural legitimacy to the momentous event.

The entire episode- starting with the hallowed ceremony, in which the 'Sengol' was the focal point in New Delhi, during the fateful hours of August 14-15, 1947, then its subsequent calculated neglect by the then establishment and now dramatic restoration of its pristine status by the Modi regime- encapsulates a fascinating story of timeless India's journey of reconnecting to its rich past at the time of independence, followed by selective amnesia under the influence of alien creeds, and its spectacular rediscovery now by a regime which takes pride in the glorious traditions of the country.

The 'Sengol', the historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu, is a priceless relic, with religious and cultural underpinning. It was both- a witness and a key participant in the high ticket drama that took place in the corridors of power. But it didn't find a place of honour in Delhi. The 'Sengol', was turned into a faceless item number GAR 896, dumped in a dusty corner of a museum in Allahabad, with an introduction, 'Golden walking stick gifted to Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru'.

The history has now turned full circle. The 'Sengol', representing India's spiritual traditions and their role in governance, will be installed in the new Parliament building to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. PM Modi will carry the sceptre in the new Parliament Building, accompanied by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The sceptre is five feet in length and has a Nandi, Lord Shiva's sacred bull, on the top, symbolising justice.

Pontiff of 20 adheenams (non-Brahmin Shaivite mutts in Tamil Nadu) will preside over the rituals. They will hand over the 'Sengol' to Modi at 7.20 am after a 20 minute homam or havan. Modi will then install it, to the right of the Speaker's chair. Dignitaries and the mutt heads, including Thiruvavaduthurai adheenam' Sri La Sri Ambalavana Desika Paramacharya Swamigal, will stand in the Well of the House when the Prime Minister installs the sceptre on the specially designated pedestal.

At least 31 members of the adheenams will leave Chennai for New Delhi in two batches on chartered flights. Ahead of the ceremony on May 28, Modi will honour them at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

'Sengol' is a world derived from the Tamil word 'Semmai', meaning righteousness. The historical sceptre is made of silver, coated with gold. The Nandi on top of the 'Sengol' is symbol of nyaya - justice. It symbolizes the transfer of power from British to India, just as it was originally used to mark the handing over power from one king to another during the Chola dynasty in Tamil Nadu. The ruler would be vested with the order (aanai in Tamil) to rule with dharma meaning justly and fairly.

There is a bit of, conveniently forgotten, but interesting history behind the celebrated 'Sengol' becoming an inalienable part of our independence saga. On the eve of independence, Nehru asked C Rajagopalachari, how to give traditional validation to the transfer of power from the British. Rajaji referred to the ancient Chola custom of the raja guru handing over a sceptre to the king on his coronation. Madras jeweller Vummudi Bangaru Chetty was commissioned to make the 'Sengol' in four weeks.

On August 14, Viceroy Mountbatten handed the sceptre over to the Tamil pontiffs who purified it and handed it over to Prime Minister Nehru at his home just before he left for Parliament House to deliver the historic 'tryst with destiny 'speech in the intervening night of August 14-15, 1947.

This is how Collins and Dominique Lapierre described the ceremony that took place in Delhi on August 14, 1947: "One of the two (priests) bore this evening of August 14 a massive silver platter, upon which was folded a strip of white silk streaked in gold, the Pitambaram, the Cloth of God. The other carried a five-foot sceptre, a flask of holy water from the Tanjore river, a pouch of sacred ash and a pouch of boiled rice which had been offered at dawn at the feet of Nataraja, the Dancing God, in his temple in Madras.

"The procession moved through the Streets of the capital until it came to a stop in front of Nehru's house on 17 York Road (now Moti Lal Nehru Marg) .... They (priests) sprinkled Jawaharlal Nehru with holy water, smeared his forehead with sacred ash, laid their sceptre on his arms and draped him in the Cloth of God." A special song, known as Kolaru Padhigam, which was "composed by the 7th-century Tamil saint Tirugnana Sambandar", was also rendered during the event. The ceremony was attended by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the would-be first President, among others.

In its issue dated August 25, 1947, the US based 'Time' publication reported the momentous event in these words "Even such an agnostic as Jawaharlal Nehru, on the eve of becoming India's first Prime Minister, fell into the religious spirit. From Tanjore in south India came two emissaries of Sri Amblavana Desigar, head of a sannyasi order of Hindu ascetics. Sri Amblavana thought that Nehru, as first Indian head of a really Indian Government ought, like ancient Hindu kings, to receive the symbol of power and authority from Hindu holy men."

"With the emissaries came south India's most famous player of the nagasaram, a special kind of Indian flute. Like other sannyasis, who abstain from hair-cutting and hair-combing, the two emissaries wore their long hair properly matted and wound round their heads. Their naked chests and foreheads were streaked with sacred ash, blessed by Sri Amblavana. In an ancient Ford, the evening of Aug. 14, they began their slow, solemn progress to Nehru's house. Ahead walked the flutist, stopping every 100 yards or so to sit on the road and play his flute for about 15 minutes. Another escort bore a large silver platter. On it was the pithambaram (cloth of God), a costly silk fabric with patterns of golden thread."

"When at last they reached Nehru's house, the flutist played while the sannyasis awaited an invitation from Nehru."

"Then they entered the house in dignity, fanned by two boys with special fans of deer hair. One sannyasi carried a sceptre of gold, five feet long, two inches thick. He sprinkled Nehru with holy water from Tanjore and drew a streak in sacred ash across Nehru's forehead. Then he wrapped Nehru in the pithambaram and handed him the golden sceptre. He also gave Nehru some cooked rice which had been offered that very morning to the dancing god Nataraja in south India, then flown by plane to Delhi."

"Later that evening Nehru, and other men who would be India's new rulers on the morrow, went to the home of Rajendra Prasad, president of the Constituent Assembly. On his back lawn four plantain trees served as pillars for a temporary miniature temple. A roof of fresh green leaves sheltered a holy fire attended by a Brahman priest. There, while several thousand women chanted hymns, the ministers-to-be and constitution-makers passed in front of the priest, who sprinkled holy water on them. The oldest woman placed dots of red powder (for luck) on each man's forehead."

"And as the twelfth chime of midnight died out, a conch shell, traditional herald of the dawn, sounded raucously through the chamber. Members of the Constituent Assembly rose. Together they pledged themselves "at this solemn moment . . . to the service of India and her people..."

When India got independence, its leadership had its feet firmly grounded in the spiritual traditions of this land. They were fully conscious of the fact that national reconstruction, after hundreds of slavery, repression and exploitation (both cultural and economic) would need both- a scientific progressive vision for the future and an unambiguous connect with the glorious past. Somewhere down the line, the establishment started believing that the past and traditions were a liability. This suicidal approach was largely influenced by Marxists, who had managed to smuggle themselves into the system.

The 'Sengol' represents a connect between India's sacred traditions and temporal responsibilities of the ruler. For loathsome Marxists, the entire sacred ceremony was a blasphemy and deserved to be buried fathoms deep. The 'Sengol' was a living testimony to the event, and thus needed to rot in obscurity. They managed to do it over seven decades. Under Modi, things have turned 360 degrees. From being an eyesore, the Sengol, is now cynosure- a commentary on changing times.

(Mr. Balbir Punj is a Former Member of Parliament and a Columnist. He can be reached at: [email protected])

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