He was 101. CHENNAI: Vummidi Ethiraj, a Chennai jeweller who retained distant memories of dignitaries visiting his family’s workshop as a ceremonial gold sceptre (sengol) took shape on the eve of the Independence, and went on to see it emerge from a museum display to a place of honour in India’s new Parliament, died in Chennai on Wednesday.
The sceptre was installed behind the Speaker’s chair in the new Parliament building in May 2023. Ethiraj’s father, Bangaru Chetty, made the sengol in 1947. In 2023, while speaking to TOI, Ethiraj made fragmentary recollections of important visitors arriving at the showroom to inspect the sceptre, and the urgency of completing it before it was packed and sent to Delhi. The family learnt of the sengol’s story through a magazine article in 2018.
Because of the pandemic, a planned news conference with museum officials did not take place.
Recalling that encounter on Wednesday, Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by Ethiraj’s death. “Hailing from a distinguished family based in Tamil Nadu, he will always be remembered for his efforts in crafting the historic sengol that was presented to former Prime Minister Nehru,” he wrote on X. “His life and craftsmanship represent a remarkable connection between India’s glorious traditions and our national journey,” he said. The sengol, presented to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of the Independence, spent decades on display at the Allahabad Museum, labelled the first prime minister’s “golden walking stick”. The jewellers, instead, made a short video that, according to the family, caught Modi’s attention. In a statement on Wednesday, his nephew Amarendran Vummudi said, “As we mourn his passing, we take immense pride in a life that has left an indelible mark on India’s history and heritage.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ethiraj that year. The following year, they located it at the Allahabad Museum. A team nominated by the Prime Minister’s Office subsequently contacted the family. The renewed attention also brought the family another commission. Ahead of the Parliament inauguration, the firm was asked to produce a gold-plated silver replica in eight days. Three teams of artisans worked around the clock. The finished piece was taken to Chennai airport and flown to Delhi in a seat of its own.