Who was Vummidi Ethiraj? Jeweller behind historic Sengol dies at 99

Vummidi Ethiraj was a veteran Chennai-based jeweller and patriarch of the Vummidi family, which owns the 125-year-old Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers. He was born on November 25, 1926, and became a prominent figure in South India’s jewellery industry. He died on October 21, 2026, aged 99.

His importance came from his role in creating the Sengol, a gold-plated silver sceptre associated with the transfer of authority from British rule to Indian leadership. The artefact was presented to Jawaharlal Nehru on the night of August 14, 1947, as India prepared for independence.

Ethiraj’s contribution gained fresh national attention when the Sengol was installed in the new Parliament building in 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan mourned him. Their tributes recognised his craftsmanship as part of India’s national and cultural heritage.

The Sengol is a ceremonial sceptre made of gold-plated silver. Its historical importance comes from its presentation to Jawaharlal Nehru on the night of August 14, 1947. That moment came as India prepared to become independent from British rule.

Priests from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Mutt in Tamil Nadu travelled to Delhi to present the sceptre. The ceremony was associated with the transfer of authority from British rule to Indian leadership. This made the object more than a piece of jewellery. It became a symbol connected to India’s political transition.

The Sengol later became a prominent symbol of India’s historical and cultural traditions. Its public importance grew again on May 28, 2023, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremonially installed it in the new Parliament building. The installation brought renewed attention to the artefact and its makers.

Vummidi Ethiraj was instrumental in creating the Sengol, the gold-plated silver sceptre linked to India’s transfer of power. The work was carried out by Vummidi Jewellers, the family business owned by the Vummidi family. Ethiraj’s contribution connected traditional South Indian jewellery craftsmanship with a major national event.

The sceptre was created for a ceremonial presentation to Jawaharlal Nehru. On the night of August 14, 1947, priests from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Mutt travelled from Tamil Nadu to Delhi and presented it to him. The presentation was associated with the transfer of authority from British rule to Indian leadership.

For many years, the craftsmen behind the Sengol received less public attention than the object itself. That changed after its installation in the new Parliament building in 2023. Ethiraj’s role then became widely recognised as part of India’s cultural and national heritage.

Vummidi Ethiraj was 99 years old when he died on October 21, 2026. He was born on November 25, 1926, and became a prominent figure in South India’s jewellery industry. His long life covered the creation, later rediscovery and renewed public recognition of the Sengol.

Ethiraj was the patriarch of the Vummidi family. The family owns Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, a business described as 125 years old. That long operating history reflects a sustained jewellery-making tradition. It also provided the family with the skills used in creating the historic sceptre.

The family business’s legacy became especially visible after the Sengol was installed in the new Parliament building in 2023. Ethiraj’s age and the company’s history show how one family’s craftsmanship endured across generations. His three children survive him, while his wife, Sumitra Vummidi, predeceased him.

The Sengol was presented to Jawaharlal Nehru on the night of August 14, 1947, as India prepared to become independent. Its presentation carried political and ceremonial meaning at a decisive moment in the country’s history. The sceptre became associated with the end of British rule and the beginning of Indian leadership.

Priests from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Mutt in Tamil Nadu travelled to Delhi for the presentation. The object itself had been crafted by Vummidi Jewellers. The ceremony connected the sceptre’s traditional and religious setting with the political transfer of authority taking place as independence approached.

The Sengol subsequently became a prominent symbol of India’s historical and cultural traditions. Its meaning was revisited decades later when it was installed in the new Parliament building in 2023. That event renewed public attention to both the ceremony and the craftsmen who made the sceptre.

On May 28, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremonially installed the Sengol in India’s new Parliament building. The move brought the object back into public view and gave renewed attention to its connection with India’s independence. It also highlighted the relationship between the country’s political institutions and its historical traditions.

The Sengol had first been presented to Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947. Its presentation was associated with the transfer of authority from British rule to Indian leadership. By placing it in Parliament, the 2023 ceremony gave renewed public prominence to that history and to the sceptre’s cultural significance.

The installation also focused attention on the makers. Vummidi Ethiraj helped create the Sengol, and Modi met him in 2023 to express gratitude. Ethiraj’s craftsmanship was consequently recognised as part of India’s national and cultural heritage.

An individual craftsperson can enter a nation’s heritage when their work becomes part of an important public event. Ethiraj’s craftsmanship mattered because the Sengol was connected to India’s transfer of authority from British rule to Indian leadership. The object therefore carried both artistic value and historical meaning.

The Sengol was crafted by Vummidi Jewellers and presented to Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947. Priests from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Mutt carried it from Tamil Nadu to Delhi. This linked the family’s traditional jewellery skills with a defining moment in India’s national journey.

Its installation in the new Parliament building in 2023 gave the Sengol renewed public visibility. Leaders including Narendra Modi and Droupadi Murmu described Ethiraj’s work as part of India’s cultural or civilisational heritage. Recognition through public institutions can therefore preserve a craftsperson’s contribution for future generations.