Thiru Vummidi Ethiraj, the respected patriarch of the iconic 125-year-old Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers and master artisan behind India’s historic ‘Sengol’, passed away in Chennai on Wednesday at the age of 99.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan expressed deep grief over the loss of South India’s legendary jeweller, praising his monumental contribution to Indian culture and heritage.
Ethiraj holds a unique place in Indian history for his family’s craftsmanship in creating the sacred Sengol presented to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, during the dawn of Independence in 1947.
Decades later, in 2023, the sacred scepter was accorded a place of pride inside the new Parliament building in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Modi personally honored Ethiraj.
In his condolence message on X, the Prime Minister remembered Ethiraj as a symbol of India’s rich craftsmanship who created a timeless link between the nation’s ancient civilizational traditions and its modern constitutional journey.
