PM Modi lies down in prayer before India's sacred 'Sengol', video surfaces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the new parliament building on May 28 and participated in the inauguration ceremony along with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and installed the scared sceptre ‘Sengol’ inside the Parliament House. Before entering the lower house to place the 'Sengol' near the chair of the speaker, PM Modi prostrated before it in an absolute show of faith, he was later handed over the symbol of the transfer of power ‘Sengol’ jointly by the Adheenams. He laid down before the Sengol and remained in the position for a few seconds while the Adheenams standing by the side showered flowers and chanted mantras. He was later handed over the sceptre Sengol by the Adheenams.  

Participating in the ceremony bare feet and dressed in traditional attire, PM Modi subsequently with Speaker Birla walked up to the chair of the Lok Sabha speaker and installed the Sengol adjacent to his chair and also lit up a lamp before seeking blessings from the Adheenams standing witness to the ceremony.

नए संसद भवन के लोकार्पण के शुभ अवसर पर प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi ने किया साष्टांग दंडवत प्रणाम!#MyParliamentMyPride pic.twitter.com/9vGHHPuvIE

— BJP (@BJP4India)

PM Modi takes part in religious prayers

Post the Sengol ceremony, PM Modi participated in the all-faith prayer conducted by leaders from 12 religions. He also honoured the Shramjeevis who contributed to making the new building. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, and Jitendra Singh, chief ministers of several states and BJP president J P Nadda were present on the occasion. The PM also unveiled the plaque to mark the inauguration of the new Parliament building.  

History of the Sengol

Sengol was accepted by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru at his residence on the night of August 14, in the presence of several leaders as a sign of transfer of power from the Britishers. Talking about the significance of the Sengol with Republic Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Gurumurthy, thought leader and editor of the Thuglak Magazine, said the sceptre was chosen by the last Indian Governor General C Rajagopalachari to represent the transfer of power from the British government, represented by Lord Mountbatten, to Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister. 

Gurumurthy said the Sengol is a symbol of very high statecraft and said it was given by Rajaguru to the king so that he knows that the reign is not his but of Dharma. It was when Lord Mountbatten asked Jawaharlal Nehru about the symbolism of the transfer of power that he consulted C Rajagopalachari who “immediately put together the idea of Chola kings initiation into power being a transfer of power from the British," said Gurumurthy.