Dear Brethren,

As the time approaches for the convening of the VI World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges, and the annual communication of the Grand Lodge of India in November 2002 hectic activities have started in the Grand Lodge Secretariate, and those involved in organising the events have been working hard to make these success.

How does a World Conference help masonry in general and Indian Freemasonry in particular. Why do the organisers consider it very important to ensure that the event is a success? As you are aware, Freemasonry is spread all over the world. The institution is, however, not under a particular Grand Lodge but is governed by Grand Lodges: Ordinarily, among regularly consecrated Grand Lodges, mutual recognition is the instrument for mutual relations. Recognition is based on well-accepted principles. Despite the universality of the institution. There is no international authority which the Grand Lodges have accepted. This is necessarily so as each Grand Lodge is sovereign over the territory in which it is established. Wisdom, therefore, mandated the constitution of an appropriate forum to enable the various Grand Lodges to meet and exchange views for the improvement of Freemasonry and the ways it can be kept as a progressive science instead of being static. Though localised forums such as the Conference of North American Grand Lodges have been in existence for some time, the World Conference of Grand Lodges is the only international forum for exchange of views and the improvement of our institution.

In the past five such world Conferences of Grand Lodges have been held in the part. India has been selected as the venue for sixth. The wide-ranging views and suggestions from around the contribute to an understanding of the problem experienced by some Grand Lodges and provides an insight into the improvements made by others. An organisation cannot afford to be static and unless it is progressive, it loses it charm and fails to inspire new entrants. Progress, however, has to be within the framework of the basic structure of our institution.

The Grand Lodge of India was consecrated in 1961. Some of our Grand Masters had the benefit of attending one or the other World Conference. Some others have, by attending the Grand Lodge communications of other Grand Lodges, made the Grand Lodges around the World realise that the Grand Lodge of India, though young is a vibrant and progressive Grand Lodge.

This has enhanced the prestige of the Grand Lodge of India amongst the Grand Lodges Internationally. Such recognition ultimately helps the grass-root mason, as the knowledge gained can be utilized for improvement of Masonry in India. The decision of the world body to permit the Grand Lodge of India to host the VIth World Conference, is a clear recognition by the Grand Lodges around the World that our Grand Lodge is a progressive Grand Lodge. By hosting the World Conference in India, a large number of our Brethren will be able to listen to the views of Grand Masters of different countries on how to improve the organisation. They, in turn, can communicate these views to grass root Masons, and thus help in the progress of Masonry in India.

I am sure all of you must be looking forward to making this mega-event successful, and I took forward to meeting a large cross-section of Brethren at the annual communication on 9th November 2002.

Grand Master

Brethren,

I had the opportunity to attend the Annual Communication of Grande Oriente D’Italia on 6th and 7th April 2002 at Rimini, Italy. It was a grand function attended by more than 1000 brethren from Italy and to add extra glamour to it, delegations from thirty Grand Lodges from different parts of the world also graced the occasion. I may say in passing that I was given due recognition by the hosts and their hospitality towards me was remarkable. It bore the stamp of our close and intimate ties and relationship.

This occasion also gave me an opportunity to invite, on behalf of our M.W. Grand Master, M.W.Bro. D.D. Udeshi, OSM, Grand Masters of Italy and other Grand Lodges along with their spouses and delegations to the VI World Conference and to our Annual Communication to be held in November 2002 at New Delhi. The response was heartening and I believe that they would be gracing the occasion in large number.

Brethren, let me give you a brief resume of our activities during the months of March and April 2002.

On 30th March 2002, our M.W. the Grand Master, M.W.Bro. D.D. Udeshi, OSM consecrated Lodge Karni No. 332, Bikaner at Ajmer. Chapter Star of Delhi No. 105 was consecrated by M.E. the First Grand Principal, M.E. Comp. D.D. Udeshi on 22nd March 2002. The same day Mark Lodge Star of Delhi No. 103 was also consecrated by M.W. the Grand Master at New Delhi. All these additions to G.L.I. are heartily welcomed.

Another event of great significance was the official visit of our M.W. the Grand Master to Lodge Kailashpat No. 223 at Kanpur, where he invested and installed R.W.Bro. Dr. Gaur Hari Singhania as Deputy Grand Master and also decorated him with the highest honour of O.S.M. on 23rd March 2002. The ceremony was a resounding success, held with the impeccable precision and attended by a large number of brethren from all over the country. Arrangements and hospitality were at their very best. On 24th March 2002, M.E. the First Grand Principal, M.E.Comp. D.D. Udeshi paid an official visit to Chapter Thacker Jairotary No. 64 at Kanpur. He invested and installed E.Comp. Dr. Gaur Hari Singhania as Second Grand Principal.

On 28th March and 6th April 2002, M.W. the Grand Master paid official visits to Lodge Islam No. 27, Mumbai and Lodge Victoria No. 9, Belgaum, on the occasion of their 125th and 150th year of their foundation, respectively.

Brethren, I would also like to draw your attention once again to the Seven Star programme announced by M.W. the Grand Master at Bangalore during the Annual Communication held in November 2001, the details of which are also given in the subsequent pages of journal. I fervently believe that you all are trying to do your level best in this direction. I wish you all success and God speed because this competition is a competition in virtuosity, charity and magnanimity. I know that we shall display it in ample measure. Let us join hands and work hard to make this ancient but prestigious institution of our’s a vibrant organisation pulsating with life and overflowing with benevolence, love, relief and truth.

With fratenal greetings.
Dr. Harish Gupta

Dear Brethren,

I am very happy to be in this lovely township of Shillong to participate in the annual convocation of the Regional Grand Lodge of Eastern India. Shillong, once the capital of Assam, and now of Meghalaya is known for its cosmopolitan population, and its scenic beauty. The remnants of the British Raj are even now to be seen in Shillong, as they are seen in Calcutta.

I love to come to the Eastern Region, because I feel that the Masons here are all distinguished, loving, and above all frank in their expression. There is no malice, no back stabbing, nor any attempt to malign the other. In fact the Masons here inspire awe and a sense of reverence. I have been associated with the likes of Bro. Sunil Singh Roy, Bro. A.N. Banerjee, Bro. Dr. Pratap Chunder, Bro. T.N. Bhargava, Bro. Sushanta Niyogi, Bro. Dilip Basu and Bro. Indrajit Chaliha. Each one of them inspires that sense of reverence. All of them simple but would talk straight. Some of them were or are mild and soft spoken, while the others were and are hot tempered. The common thread amongst them has always been their forth-rightness. The same can be said about all my Brethren from Eastern India, whom I have met. Inspite of such doyens in the Eastern Region, the membership in the Region is the lowest. The Region is always leading in the number of Lodges in arrears in submitting returns and paying the dues. Meeting after meeting of the Grand Board, the Regional Grand Master is, sort of put on the mat for the defaults of the Lodges in the Region. Bro. Dilip Basu, during his tenure as the Regional Grand Master, and now soft spoken Regional Grand Master has been making all out efforts to remedy the situation, and have succeeded partly. In fact, after I was installed as the Grand Master, I came to Calcutta and met some of the Brethren for non-performing Lodges. Some suggestions were made, and accepted, but mostly in vain.

May I ask you Brethren, why this lethargy, why this indifference? Is it because the Brethren do not like Freemasonry, or because they are just not interested in the tenets of Freemasonry. Brethren the first Lodge was founded in India is Calcutta. The Region had many doyens, who not only knew, but practiced Freemasonry to the hilt. I have read an account of how the land at Park Street was acquired, and how the magnificient structure thereon was built. I am not here to complain or to reprimand. I want you Brethren to find a way out to make the Institution thriving in the Eastern Region, there is ample guidance available. I am not inclined to agree that the Brethren in the Region are not financially well off to maintain the Lodges, and make it grow or to finance charitable projects. I believe that there is no paucity of available talent. Last year, I was pleasantly surprised when a very young Bro. walked upto my room at the Club to inform me that he was a Mason for only two years and was elected to be the Wor. Master of the Lodge. I have been monitoring the progress of that Lodge for the last one year, and find that Lodge is initiating new members and is progressing in the right direction. You cannot point a finger at your Reg. Grand Master for this decline. It is you my Brethren who have to roll up your sleeves to put this Region on the right track. You have Bro. David, an encyclopedia of Freemasonry as the Regional Grand Secretary, you have Bro. Dilip Basu, Bro. T.N. Bhargava and your Regional Grand Master to guide you. You have Dr. Chunder, who can answer any question on Freemasonry. What more is required. All that is necessary is the will - the resolve. This can be only from you. Your Regional Grand Master and his officers are there to work. Whenever required. I will personally come to help you. But Brethren heart may conceive and head may device in vain, if the hand is not willing to execute the design.

One of your own brother, Bro. Narendra Nath, who later came to be known as Swami Vivekanand had exhorted his countrymen in these words.

“Here is the same India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest sages that ever lived. Here first arose the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, the existence of a supervising God, an immanent God in nature and man......We are the children of such a country.”

“Stand up and fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. You cry to 60 million Gods and still die like cats and dogs. This bending of the knee to superstitions does not befit you. You are infinite, deathless and birthless.”

Brethren I exhort you, as your brother and not as the Grand Master : let us shake off the lethargy and indifference. Let the Brethren in Eastern Region resolve that they will work hard, and do everything necessary to revive the Eastern Region and make its Regional Grand Master, now and in future, proud of their members.

Freemasonry is here to stay. All attempts to curb this organisation have not succeeded. In Germany Freemasonry was banned, Freemasons were persecuted, and attempts were made to malign Freemasonry. It has all changed now. Hilter has gone, and Freemasonry is thriving. If you do not revive Freemasonry in Eastern Region, others will do it, may be later. Freemasonry will not die. But why wait. Do it now-today.

M.E. The First Grand Principal, M.E. Companions and Companions all, once again in recent times, we are blessed by The true and living god most high with the consecration of another R.A. Chapter in the Royal Arch, R.A. Chapter ‘Star of Delhi’ No. 105.

It is kind on the part of M.E. The First Grand Principal to provide me this opportunity to further this task on the nature and purpose of the Royal Arch. On an earlier occasion, I was able to convey that Freemasonry does not consist of separate parts just because as speculative Masonry developed, for convenience we designated certain separate orders. Once again, I would like to emphasise that we all arrive at our identity as complete Freemasons only when a Master Mason is exalted into the Royal Arch Degree, Thus, this must be done as early as permissible after Four weeks have elapsed after a Brother has been a Master Mason.

Companions, I take it that most of us to a varying extent are familiar with Royal Arch. However, I most emphatically impress upon you to seriously contemplate upon the Royal Arch deeply and continually. We are aware that object of Freemasonry is the first and foremost to polish us to be groomed progressively as better individuals and therefore more useful members of society. We are also aware that Freemasonry is a progressive science. We are taught to acquire as many virtues as may be the aptitude of each one of us; and more especially to strictly practice the same in our daily lives. The preparation of a Freemason progressively aims at the heart being purified of every baneful and malignant passion; and the mind mode led by virtue and science, we are thus charged to contemplate on the intrinsic truth and by a serious reflection on the nature of self through deep introspection by study of self within. That is where the Truth is; that is where we can seek and find the True and Living God Most High. All at once, there was a brilliant glow within, and a magnificent, melodious and kind voice said- “I am that I am - I am the Lord whom you seek”. And lo, here is the True enlightenment before us. All quests end, everything known. There is nothing more to experience further. The Individual seeker is merged with the most high, the True and Living God Most High.

Companions, actually it is the Royal Arch that teaches us finally to become complete Freemasons; and then by practicing in our daily life what we have been taught in Freemasonry to finally enable us to be extensively serviceable to our fellow creatures and the society.

Yastu Atm Ratireve Syadatm
Triptascha Manava

Atma Neva ch : Santushtasya Karyam
Na: Vidui Wat :

He who dwelling up on his SELF WITHIN is satisfied with the self within. There is no further work for him left in this world.

In the Royal Arch there are symbols a galore. With your indulgence, and permission I shall mention some of the Mathematical Symbols only. My Professor of Mathematics used to say some sixty years back that PHILOSOPHY aims to define all phenomena of life, things and all that we perceive through the senses or realise through imagination; but MATHEMATICS attempts to make these definitions exact.

The very form of a Royal Arch Chapter when properly arranged, approaches as nearly as circumstances will permit that of catenararian arch. A catenary is formed by a rope or a chain suspended from two points not in the same vertical plane. It is the strongest of the Architectural forms. No wonder then, that all suspension bridges are in the form of a catenary. And Sir, I would much rather quote from our R.A. Ritual here.

The catenary strongly typifies that invariable adherence to social order and spirit of fraternal union, which have given energy and permanency to the whole Constitution of Freemasonry, thereby enabling it to survive the wrath of mighty empires, and resist the destroying hand of time.

In R.A. Masonry, we acknowledge six lights, three lesser and three greater. I am skipping the symbolic reference of the lights; as I have already sought your permission earlier to explain some of the mathematical symbols only; thus, I shall go on to talk about the arrangement of these six lights. These lights are arranged in the form of an equilateral triangle, each of the lesser bisecting a line formed by two of the greater, thus geometrically dividing the greater triangle into three lesser triangles at its extremities time, and forming a fourth in the centre, all equal and equilateral.

This symbolical arrangement corresponds with the Triple Tau which has two right angles at each of its exterior lines, and two in the centre in all eight right angles, corresponding in number with those contained in the four equal and equilateral triangles; for the three angles of every triangle are together equal to two right angles.

It also serves to illustrate the Jewel worn by the Companions in the Royal Arch, which forms by its inter sections a given number of angles; these may be take in five several combinations, and when reduced to their amount of right anlges, will equal to those of Platonic bodies representing the four elements and the sphere of the whole universe. The Platonic Bodies are the Tetrathedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron.

To the above, companions, I would like to add another explanation from numerology you will notice that the eight right angles add to 720 degrees. This arithmetical figure adds upto 9 only. Nine is symbolic numbers of the mother earth.

And now allow me to bring you all to a different level, a lighter one from this Mathematical symbolism though significant and profound.

I shall recite to you two couplets from one of my Ghazals.

Musallas aur murakkab Meri tehzibke markaz hain khuda ne bakhshshe hain khuda shanashi ko karishmat mujhe

The triangle and the square are at the centre of my culture. God has been kind to bestow such miracles to me to be able to enable to recognize HIS PRESENCE everywhere.

Sunte aye hain toor tha aur
na raha ho shayed

Musa ne kahe kar the sab hi woh
jumlat mujhe

We have been hearing that there was Mr. Taurus, and this perhaps may not have been there; for Moses did not communicate those ten commandments to me.

Committee for publication of
Square & Compasses.
R.W. Bro. Dr. Harish Gupta
R.W. Bro. Madhu Narang
R.W. Bro. S.N. Wadhwani
W.Bro. Subhash Chawla

---

Co-opted Members :
W. Bro. C.J. Mathew
W. Bro. Dr. S.P Pathak

Long Terms Service Jewels

Craft - 40 Years

R.W.Bro. Lodd Narendradas 146
W.Bro. S.R. Balakrishnan 164
W.Bro. B.T. Sampath 146
W.Bro. S.N. Dutta 12
W.Bro. N.S. Sokhi 23

Craft - 25 Years

W.Bro. B.K. Rao 89
W.Bro. P. Kanakarju 89
W.Bro. J.S. Kohli 69
Bro. Abdul Sattar Ismail 243
Bro. Dr. N.V.A. Nair 243
Bro. Jacob Samuel 243
Bro. K.O. Abraham 243
Bro. Niscar Ahmed Latif 9
W.Bro. Cdr. K. Manjunath 196
W.Bro. Haripal Singh Uberoi 196
Bro. P.G. Bansi 91
W.Bro. Dr. S.G. Devdhar 165
W.Bro. V.G. Neurgaonkar 165
W.Bro. H.R. Debara 36
W.Bro. A.K. Banerjee 78
W.Bro. B.K. Ghosh 78
W.Bro. D.K. Sarkar 78
W.Bro. Lt. Col. M.K. Sahni 196
W.Bro. P. Ram Kumar 196
W.Bro. Gomatham Ranganathan 164
W.Bro. Mathew Kuncheria 164

Chapter - 25 Years

E.Comp. D.D. Sargunar 21
E.Comp. P. Velayudham 21
E.Comp. S. Gomathinayagam 21
E.Comp. C.K. Sah 74
M.E.Comp. T.N. Bhargava 74

Mark - 25 Years

W.Bro. D.D. Sargunar 16
W.Bro. S. Gomathnayagam 16
W.Bro. P. Velayudham 16

I take this opportunity to greet you all on my own behalf as well as on behalf of M.W.Bro. Dilip Dwarakadas Udeshi, Most Worshipful the Grand Master, Grand Lodge of India.

To be invited to this great and friendly country, the home of one of the ancient civilisations of the man-kind, in itself is a matter of great honour for me and I am deeply indebted to Grande Oriente D’Italia for providing me this opportunity to attend the Annual Communication here in this beautiful city - Rimini. I am extremely beholden to you for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to me.

M.W.Bro. D.D. Udeshi was very keen to attend this meeting but due to some prior engagements could not make it. However, he has asked me to convey his greetings and best wishes to you on this occasion. He has also expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude to you for attending his installation meeting along with your wife in Mumbai in November 2000. The fraternal relationship between our two Grand Lodges is very intimate and deep. Our Past Grand Master M.W.Bro. K.L. Reddy was honoured with the highest award by your Grand Lodge and freemasons in India gratefully acknowledge this gesture.

May I also take this opportunity to thank you for the munificence shown by you in true Masonic spirit, when you sent us a very handsome amout of US $ 51000 to help earthquake hit people in Gujarat, while they were in great distress. How many tears were wiped off from how many eyes can very will be imagined for it defies words. This benign act of benevolence is the manifestation of basic principles of Brotherly Love and Relief in “act and words” perhaps more in act. Permit me also to remind you as well as renew our invitation to you as well as to other distinguished delegates from other Grand Lodge to grace the VI World Conference of Grand Lodges at New Delhi, India with your benign presence and thus have the feel of our hospitality. I may also say that it will provide you with the unique opportunity to have personal experience of our varied, multi-faceted heritage and culture - antiquated but with a lot of sprinkling of modernity. We shall try our level best to make your stay as comfortable as possible. The Conference shall be held on 7th and 8th November 2002. Our year long celebrations to mark the completion of 40 years of our existence as Sovereign Grand Lodge will conclude at the time of our Annual Communication on November 9, 2002. It will be a great pleasure to have your company alongwith your spouses. Even during the sessions of Conference on 7th and 8th November 2002, special programmes for sight seeing, shopping and cultural shows will be arranged for ladies accompanying the delegates.

In India, we are trying our best to keep the flag of Freemasonry high and fluttering. Our efforts are not only to practice the rituals as best as possible, but also to reach out to the society at large through our acts of charity, brotherly love and philanthropy. Thus, we are trying to break off the misconception that we are some secret society, or group or organisation indulging in some secret covert/overt acts or practices/black magic. We are coming out of our self imposed seclusion through our acts of philanthrophy and our ancient institution is thus becomng more and more visibile and getting wider and wider recognition and appreciation.

In this age when progress and advancement are taking great strides at lightening speed, it is a challenge for us to keep pace with it. We cannot continue to bask on the laurels of our past glory. There is always room for improvement, so it is now incumbent upon us to deliberate upon our problems, exchange views and think of ways and means which may help us to reach still greater heights and become more visible and serviceable to the community.

In the most turbulent world of today the message of Brotherly Love, Relief and truth - our motto is of extreme relevance. The world is virtually sitting on a volcano where at the drop of a hat people are ready to fly at the throat of each other. If freemasonry is practiced both in spirit and word, then the humanity can survive with plenty of peace and progress.

In the end, once again, I offer my sincere thanks to, you on my own behalf and on behalf of Most Worshiful Grand Master of Grand Lodge of India for the kind invitation to participate in your communication.

Ritual - Who Needs it!
By Bro Jim Tresner

The short answer is, “we do.”

To explain why takes a little longer.

In a very real sense, it is the ritual of masonry that makes masonry work. Ritual is the channel through which masonry teaches. But it is more than that.

Because ritual is so important to masonry, it’s worth taking a little time to talk about the nature of ritual itself, and why it is central to the Masonic experience.

Fist of all, ritual is a virtual necessity to all humans, in fact to nearly all animals. This is so true that all human brains come “hard-wired” to respond to ritual. (Amazing, in its own way. Very few things in human beings are instinctive—almost everything is learned behaviour. But the response to ritual has been located by brain anatomists in the oldest and most primitive part of the brain, just above the brain stem, in the same area which controls altertness and the emotions. It is as “natural” to us as love, or aggression, or cooperation).

All of us engage our-selves in ritual all the time—we just don’t always recognise it. Most of us have a morning routine, for example. Some of us shave before showering, some of us shave after showering, and some shave while showering, but whichever it is, we usually do it the same way. A few people even have morning routines so exact that they always put on the right sock before the left sock. This morning routine is a ritual.

Most of us shake hands when we are introduced to someone—that is a ritual. Pledging allegiance to the flag is a ritual. Bowing the head during prayer is a ritual. Making coffee in the morning is a ritual. Our lives are filled and surrounded with rituals from birth to marriage to death.

Why?

Ritual gives us frame-work to organise events.

We don’t deal well with chaos. We make lists of things to do, to buy, to read. Ritual does the same thing for us. By doing things in a given order, which is the essence of ritual, we make sure everything gets done. Even churches which try to make a point of not using ritual, use ritual in that sense. The order in which hymns are sung, the collection is taken, the sermon is given, and prayer is offered seldom changes for a given congregation. The primary reason most of us have a morning ritual is to make sure that we don’t overlook shaving, or brushing the teeth, or some other aspect of preparing for the day. Ritual provides a sort of mental checklist for many of life’s activities.

Ritual helps us in our relationships to others.

Almost all families have family rituals—things they do in certain ways. Those rituals might include such things as making it a point to eat together on certain days, calling at certain times of the day, giving certain kinds of gifts; there are thousands of possibilities. Those rituals strengthen the unity of the family.

Other rituals relate to those outside the family. Shaking hands when we meet, taking turn talking in a conversation—almost all of the things we classify as polite, or consider a person rude if he doesn’t do, are matters of social ritual. They help to make everyone comfortable and help situations move smoothy.

Ritual is a powerful teaching tool.

In fact, it was probably the very first teaching tool. We know of hunting rituals among some tribes, whose purpose was to teach the young how to hunt effectively. Mnemonics, phrases which help us to remember things, such as “Thirty days hath September, April, June and November....”, are rituals, as is learning the alphabet by singing the alphabet song. The military developed many rituals, patterns of repeated behaviour, to teach recruits how to maintain weapons.

Ritual helps give us a sense of identiy.

It may seem strange, but people often define themselves by their actions, (I’m a salesman, a mechanic, a professor, a blacksmith, etc.). That’s not limited to what we do for a living. Our rituals, our actions, give an underlying sense of reality to our lives. We feel “right” or “complete” when we follow certain rituals.

Ritual helps us prepare—helps us “get in the mood” for what is to follow.

Whether the event is a church service or a football game, most repeating events have a ritual of some sort which helps set the emotional tone. And we would have a strong sense of “wrongness” if those were violated—if a church service started with band music and cheer-leaders or a football game started with a liturgical procession, for example.

Ritual helps us condense a lot into a little time.

Ritual enriches an experience by concentrating it. Rather than involving a full explosion, like a lecture, ritual makes references to things and leaves us to think about and fill in the details for ourselves. To illustrate with a portion of church ritual, consider just the last line of the Doxology—“Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” The concept of the Trinity is a very hard concept to “wrap the mind around.” Rather than giving the many hours of discussion which would be necessary to explore the topic, the ritual simply mentions it, and leaves it to us to do the thinking if we are so inclined.