Allahabad Museum failed to identify Sengol because no one could translate Tamil engraving

“There was no mention of Lord Mountbatten and there was none in the team who could decipher the Tamil text that is engraved on the sengol to put the date of August 14, 1947, in context,” says a museum official

May 27, 2023 10:36 pm | Updated 11:04 pm IST - NEW DELHI

Displayed in the Nehru Gallery of the museum as part of the personal collection of the first Prime Minister, the Sengol was wrongly labelled as a “Golden Walking stick gifted to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru”. Photo: Rizwan Uddin via lh3.googleusercontent.com

Displayed in the Nehru Gallery of the museum as part of the personal collection of the first Prime Minister, the Sengol was wrongly labelled as a “Golden Walking stick gifted to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru”. Photo: Rizwan Uddin via lh3.googleusercontent.com

As the government prepares to install the Sengol — a Tamil sceptre gifted to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of Independence — in the new Parliament, the mood is mixed in the Allahabad Museum in Prayagraj where it has been on display all these years.

While there is a sense of pride that a treasure housed by the museum for decades is now finding space in the home of Indian democracy, there is also a feeling of chagrin that they failed to label it correctly. Sources in the museum described the episode as an eye-opener, blaming their lack of trained and motivated staff for their delay in understanding the true identity and history of the sceptre.

The Anand Bhavan or Swaraj Bhavan, formerly the residence of Nehru-Gandhi family, is now a museum in Prayagraj. File

The Anand Bhavan or Swaraj Bhavan, formerly the residence of Nehru-Gandhi family, is now a museum in Prayagraj. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Displayed in the Nehru Gallery of the museum as part of the personal collection of the first Prime Minister, the Sengol was wrongly labelled as a “Golden Walking stick gifted to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru”.

History of error

“It was brought by the founder curator S.C. Kala from Anand Bhawan when the museum building was constructed in 1954,” said Waman Wankhede, the assistant curator who is in charge of the Nehru Gallery. The foundation stone of the museum was laid in 1947 by Nehru, who wanted his personal memorabilia to be conserved at the museum. Mr. Kala, who went on to become the museum’s director, was said to have been close to Nehru.

“In the GAR [General Accession Register], Mr. Kala had only mentioned that it was a gift and that it is made of brass sheet and polished with gold. There was no mention of Lord Mountbatten and there was none in the team who could decipher the Tamil text that is engraved on the Sengol to put the date of August 14, 1947, in context. It seems the register kept on getting copied by Mr. Kala’s successors till the jewellery company, Vummudi Bangaru, approached the previous curator and director in-charge Sunil Gupta in 2021. It was taken away by government officials last November,” Mr. Wankhede explained.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives the Sengol from Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam Sri la Sri Ambalavana Desika Paramacharya Swamigal during a meeting with the Adheenams at his residence in New Delhi on May 27, 2023, on the eve of the the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives the Sengol from Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam Sri la Sri Ambalavana Desika Paramacharya Swamigal during a meeting with the Adheenams at his residence in New Delhi on May 27, 2023, on the eve of the the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building. | Photo Credit: ANI

Mr. Gupta received a mail from the jewellery company, saying that that they wanted to have a look at the stick and that it was created by them as a symbol of the transfer of power. “When we realised its significance and felt there is some merit in the claim of the company, we approached the local media, and a news item was carried. It spread the word,” said Mr. Gupta, adding that the rest of the background must have been checked by the Ministries of Culture and Home. Amar Ujala journalist Anup Ojha who reported the news on March 2021 said that he had been immediately approached by Ministry officials.

Sceptres across Indian history

Refusing to comment on the contradictions in the political narrative, Rajesh Kumar Mishra, who curates the artifacts of ancient Indian history at the museum, pointed out that the tradition of a Sengol as the symbol of power was not limited to the Chola dynasty or even to south India.

“Ïn the north, it is called rajdanda or dharmadanda and is an essential element of power that is passed on to the newly appointed king. It finds mention in Kalidasa’s epic poem Raghuvamsa, which narrates the story of the Raghu dynasty from Dilipa to Ram,” he said. “When Dilipa moved to the forest after embracing asceticism, he passed on the symbols of power to his son Raghu and the rajdanda was one of them,” he added, noting that the sceptre can also be found on coins minted during Samudragupta’s reign, where he can be seen holding the rajdanda in his left hand.

Permanent staff missing

Meanwhile, there is a general feeling of elation in the city, which was once an important centre of education and culture. Noted historian and Allahabad University professor Yogeshwar Tiwari pointed out that it was in Allahabad that the Queen’s Proclamation was made public whereby India became a British colony in 1858. “It is a glorious coincidence that the symbol of the transfer of power to the people of India was also preserved in Allahabad and is now finding its rightful place in the new Parliament,” he said.

Also read | Evidence thin on government’s claims about the sceptre

Meanwhile, sources in the museum lamented the state of affairs as permanent staff have not been appointed after the retirement of expert hands. “Outsourcing and interns can’t run an institution of immense value. One day, someone will notice that we have more than a dozen original works of Russian artist Nicholas Roerich who had a strong Indian connection,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

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