Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with Union Ministers, chief ministers of various states, and other dignitaries, participated in a multi-faith prayer ceremony known as ‘sarva dharma prarthana’ at the newly constructed Parliament building on Sunday.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the new Parliament Building and placed the ‘Sengol’ near the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair in the new structure. The event was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and S Jaishankar, as well as BJP chief J P Nadda.
The prayer ceremony commenced with a traditional puja at a pandal near the Gandhi statue, conducted with Vedic rituals. Prime Minister Modi performed the “Ganapati Homam” to seek divine blessings for the inauguration of the new Parliament building. Prior to its installation in the new building, the historic ‘Sengol’ was handed over to PM Modi by Adheenams.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi prostrated before the ‘Sengol’ as a mark of respect and sought the blessings of the Adheenams, who were representatives of various temples in Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, the ‘Sengol’ was carried in a procession accompanied by Vedic chants to the new Parliament building, where it was placed in the Lok Sabha chamber adjacent to the Speaker’s chair.
The ‘Sengol’ was consecrated through Vedic chanting by the Adheenams before its installation. Prime Minister Modi decided to adopt the ‘Sengol’ as a national symbol of the Amrit Kaal. It is noteworthy that this very ‘Sengol’ was accepted by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at his residence on the night of August 14, in the presence of several leaders.
