On Sunday, at the inauguration of the new Parliament, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi will receive a Sengol, a golden sceptre, from Tamil priests — a ceremony dating back to the Chola Empire and signifying the transfer of power from one king to another.
The government hopes the inauguration will represent Indian traditions, set a historical precedent, and reprise a similar ceremony 75 years ago when India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, accepted the same Sengol hours before his famous ‘tryst with destiny’ speech on the midnight of August 15, 1947, which represented the transfer of power from the British to self-rule by Indians.