📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Krishnakant Sijariya
National
Veteran Artisan Vummidi Ethiraj, Designer of Parliament’s Historic Sengol, Passes Away at 99
✍️ India Today
🗓 22 Oct 2026, 03:23 AM
👁 12
Renowned craftsman Vummidi Ethiraj, who fashioned the historic sengol now displayed in the Indian Parliament, died at the age of 99.
Vummidi Ethiraj, a celebrated Indian artisan known for his work on the historic sengol, died at the age of 99. His death marks the loss of a figure who contributed to a symbolic piece of the nation’s parliamentary heritage.
The sengol, a ceremonial staff representing democratic ideals, was crafted under Ethiraj’s supervision and now resides within the precincts of the Parliament. Its presence serves as a reminder of India’s cultural continuity and the role of traditional craftsmanship in modern institutions.
Colleagues and cultural historians have praised Ethiraj’s dedication to preserving traditional metalwork techniques while adapting them for a national emblem. His legacy endures through the sengol and the many artisans he mentored over a lifetime of service.
The sengol, a ceremonial staff representing democratic ideals, was crafted under Ethiraj’s supervision and now resides within the precincts of the Parliament. Its presence serves as a reminder of India’s cultural continuity and the role of traditional craftsmanship in modern institutions.
Colleagues and cultural historians have praised Ethiraj’s dedication to preserving traditional metalwork techniques while adapting them for a national emblem. His legacy endures through the sengol and the many artisans he mentored over a lifetime of service.