Matter of pride that 'Sengol' installed at new Parliament building: Allahabad Museum officials

Prayagraj: Officials at the Allahabad Museum, home of the historic 'Sengol' for seven decades, said their treasured possession moving to the new Parliament building in the national capital is a matter of pride for them as well as the residents of Prayagraj.

The 'Sengol', a Chola-era spectre made of silver with a coat of gold, is a symbol of the transfer of power from the British in 1947. On Sunday, it was installed near the chair of the Lok Sabha Speaker.

In common parlance in Prayagraj, it was called the "raaj dand", while in the museum records, it was mentioned as "sunahari chharhee", the officials said.

Officials associated with the transfer said to fill the "void", a replica of the 'Sengol' will be kept at the museum.

Assistant Curator of Allahabad Museum Waman Wankhede told PTI, "The foundation stone of the museum building was laid on December 14, 1947, by (former prime minister) Jawaharlal Nehru and the museum was opened to the public in 1954 in the Chandra Shekhar Azad Park or the Company Bagh area." "Nehru ji wanted to give all his gifts to the Allahabad Museum and he told the then curator S C Kala about this. The curator prepared a list of items which included the 'Sengol'. The length of the 'Sengol' is approximately 138.4 centimetres," Wankhede said.

"It is a matter of happiness and pride for the Allahabad Museum that the 'Sengol' is going to the new Parliament," he said further.

According to Wankhede, the 'Sengol' was transferred to the National Museum, New Delhi on November 4, 2022.

A K Singh, Vice Chancellor of Prof Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University, Prayagraj, who held the additional charge of the museum director when the 'Sengol' was transferred to Delhi, said a "historical stick is again going to be a part of history".

Asked if he felt emotional when the spectre was moved to Delhi, he said, "Naturally, yes. See, any object, even if it is lifeless, stays in your house, and then you develop an attachment with that object.

"But, in this case, it was going from one home (Allahabad Museum) to another home (National Museum), and it was going to a good place for a good cause. So, it was an emotional as well as a proud moment," he said.

Singh held the post of director of the Allahabad Museum for 13 months.

He said the transfer took place after a phone call from the Union culture ministry informing them that the 'Sengol' had to be shifted. Singh said it took two to three months to complete the process.

"When the transfer process was going on, Governor madam said a replica of the 'Sengol' should be kept in the Allahabad Museum, since the original item is going.

"We had already given approval for the replica, and I feel that it will be installed soon in the museum," Singh said.

Director of Allahabad Museum Rajesh Prasad said as the news of the 'Sengol' getting installed at the Parliament building spread, there has been a significant increase in the number of visitors wanting to know its historical significance.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP and former mayor of Prayagraj Rita Bahuguna Joshi admitted that she never saw the 'Sengol' at the museum but was elated that "thousands of people will see it" at the Parliament building.

"This is a historical piece going from one government place to another... a bigger place that is the Parliament House where thousands of people will see it. We should feel happy about it," she said.

The Allahabad Museum comes under the Union Ministry of Culture and its ex-officio Chairman is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.