|
In 1717 A.D. when an era
of comparative peace and harmony dawned on the European
scene, the Grand Lodge of England took shape at a meeting
of the local Lodges of London, to elect a Grand Master.
A United constitution was drawn up and recognized by
all the Lodges. A democratic tradition in the election
of the Worshipful Master of a Lodge was prescribed.
The Worshipful Master was authorized to appoint his
team of officers.
It is therefore of interest
that within 12 years of the constitution of the Grand
Lodge of England, constituted for the purpose of exercising
supervision over the lodges in London, and its neighboring
areas, a petition was sent by a few Brethren in India
to constitute a Provincial Grand Lodge in Calcutta.
The Petition having been granted, a Provincial Grand
Master was appointed to supervise Masonic activity in
India and the Far East in 1728 A.D.
Full details regarding
how the First Lodge was constituted in India, are preserved
in the Minutes of the Grand Lodge in London. First a
petition was presented on December 28, 1728 and at the
end of the minutes of that meeting, the text of the
"Deputation" from the Grand Master: "to Empower and
Authorize our well beloved Brother Pomfret....that he
do, in our place and stead, constitute a regular Lodge,
in due form at Fort William in Bengal in the East Indies...."
This was signed and sealed "the 6th day of February
1728/9 and in the year of Masonry 5732 (which shows
that Grand Lodge used Usher's Chronology in dating the
Masonic era - as the Grand Lodge of Scotland still .
The Lodge at Fort William
-- that is, Calcutta -- appears in the Engraved List
of 1730, as No. 72. It was to meet at Fort William in
Calcutta. The coat of Arms was adopted from the East
India Company a golden lion, rampant guardant, supporting
between the forepaws a regal crown. In 1729, Captain
Ralph Farwinter was appointed "Provisional Grand Master
for East India in Bengal" and also James Dawson as "Provincial
Grand Master" for East Indies.
The Provincial Grand Lodge
of Madras was formed in 1752 and The Provincial Grand
Lodge of Bombay was created in 1758. Although it appeared
in the Roll of Grand Lodge there is no record of how
it came into being.
The first Indian Mason was Omdat-ul-Omrah,
Nawab Carnatic initiated in 1775. The doors to Hindu
Masonry was flung wide-open might one say, by the unstoppable
determination of one Mr. P.C. Dutt of Calcutta to become
a member of the craft. After much opposition from the
Provincial Grand Master (Hugh Sanderman) and nine years
after he was proposed for initiation Mr.Dutt became
Bro. Dutt in Anchor and Hope, No. 234, in 1872. Twenty-three
years later, he was Deputy District Grand Master.
THE BIRTH OF THE
GRAND LODGE OF INDIA
It was towards the end of
October 1959 that the Most W. Grand Masters of England,
Ireland and the Immediate Past Grand Master Mason of
Scotland met in London to discuss the future of Freemasonry
in India. The three Grand Masters considered that "an
independent Grand Lodge of India is desirable and that
its establishment should....be gradually but actively
pursued."
A representative Steering
Committee was set up consisting exclusively of Indian
Brethren in proportion to the number of Lodges under
each of the three Constitutions, with R.W.Bro Lt.Gen.
Sir Harold Williams, K.B.E., C.B., as Chairman, with
the aim of establishing an independent Grand Lodge of
India on the best possible foundations. The Steering
Committee met at important centers of Masonic activities
in the North, East, South and West of India and its
report was unanimously signed early October 1960. On
December 1, the three Grand Masters issued "Notes
on the proposed Grand Lodge of India for the information
and guidance of Lodges in India." Therein they
reiterated their declared attitude towards an independent
Grand Lodge of India, but left it to Lodges in India
to decide whether to opt for or against joining such
a body, adding that if the Brethren in India decided
in favor of an independent Grand Lodge, they would accept
the decision and establish with it the closest fraternal
relations and that Lodges not wishing to participate
would continue to enjoy the existing rights under their
respective Grand Lodges.
Out of a total of 277
individual Lodges in India (excluding Pakistan, Ceylon
and Aden, which were excluded for the poll) 145 opted
for the new Grand Lodge of India. This represented a
little over 52 per cent.
INAUGURAL
MEETING
The Grand Lodge of India
was officially constituted at ten minutes to six o'clock
on Friday the 24th November 1961 in the Ashoka Hotel,
New Delhi. There were three delegations from the Grand
Lodge of Scotland, Ireland and England in that order.
After the three delegations
were received and greeted, the Grand Master Mason of
Scotland proceeded with the Consecration. Thereafter,
The Deputy Grand Master of Ireland officially constituted
the new Grand Lodge saying "in the name of the
Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland and by
the command of their Grand Master, I constitute and
form you, my good Brethren into the Sovereign Grand
Lodge of India, you are empowered henceforth to exercise
all the rights and privileges of a Grand Lodge according
to the ancient usage's and landmarks of the Craft. May
the Grand Architect of the Universe prosper, direct
and counsel you in all your proceedings."
After the Consecration
and Constitution, the Deputy Grand Master of England
assumed the Throne and installed Major General Dr. Sir
Syed Raza Ali Khan, G.C.I.E.,D.Litt., LL.D., His Highness
The Nawab of Rampur, as the first Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of India. The Aprons, Collars, Gauntlets
etc. for the new Lodge were provided jointly by the
three parent Grand Lodges.
In addition to the three parent
Grand Lodges, the M.W. Grand Master of the Grand Lodges
of the State of Israel, the M.W. Past Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of Alberta (Canada) and about 1,491
Brethren from all over India were present at this historic
event.
|
