Freemasonry in India
Full details regarding how the First Lodge was constituted in India, are preserved in the Minutes of the Grand Lodge in London. On Dec 28, 1728 within just 12 years of the constitution of the Grand Lodge of England, 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 and a deputation was sent, by the Grand Lodge in London, to institute the lodge. The text of the "Deputation" from the Grand Master to institute the Lodge reads: "to Empower and Authorize our well beloved Brother Pomfret.... that he do, in our place and stead, institute a regular Lodge, in due form at Fort William in Bengal in the East Indies....". Thus, says Preston, Pomfret "first introduced Masonry into the English settlements in India" and he figures in the Masonic Year Book as the first Provincial Grand Master for East India.
Nothing further, however, is known of this individual and even the voluminous Calcutta records are silent concerning him. He was succeeded in 1729 by Captain Ralph Farr Winter as Provincial Grand Master "for East India in Bengal" and, under his direction, a Lodge was duly established in 1730, known as Lodge East India Arms, which, in the Engraved Lists, is distinguished by the arms of the company and is described as No. 72 at Bengal in the East Indies. The records of the Grand Lodge of England contain an entry to the effect that, on December 3, 1731, Captain Farr Winter attended a Communication as the Provincial Grand Master for India and that, on his return to India, he sent "from his Lodge of Bengal a chest of the best arrack for the use of the Grand Lodge and ten guineas for the Masonic Charity."
The Lodge at Fort William, 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 James Dawson was appointed 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 open 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.
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 centres of Masonic activities in the North, East, South and West of India and its report was unanimously signed early October 1960.
On December 1, 1960 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 favour 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.
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 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 usages 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.
Eminent Freemasons in India
Sir Phirozeshah Mehta
Dadabhoy Nowroji Tata
Swami Vivekananda
W.C. Bannerjee
President Dr. Rajendra Prasad
President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
Pandit Motilal Nehru
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Sir Dorabji Jamshedji Tata
J.R.D. Tata
Goculdas Narottam Morarjee
Ebrahim Currimbhoy
Dr. B.G. Kher
Bhulabhai Desai
Dr. C. Rajagopalachari
Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer
Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy
D.L. Vaidya
Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar
Sir N.G. Chandavarkar
M.R. Jayakar
Dwarkadas Narainji
Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas
Sir Chimanlal Setalvad
T.G. Khaitan
Dharamsey Morarjee
Narsingir Pratapgir
Sir Bhalchandra K. Pradhan
Dr. Sir Tehmuiji Nariman
P.M. Kanga
Sultan Mohammad Shah, Aga Khan
Dr. Badruddin Tyabji
Sir Sayyad Ahmad Khan Dahlavi
Ebrahim Rahimtulla Currimbhoy
Dr. R.N. Cooper
Dr. P.V. Cherian
Maharaja Ganga Singh
Maharaja Duleep Singh
Maharaja Randheer Singh
Maharaja Digvijay Smghji
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh
Maharaja Yadvinder Singh
Maharaja Sir Bhawani Singh
Maharaja N.N. Bhup
Maharaja J.N. Bhup
Maharaja R.J. Bhup
Maharaja Viziaram Raj
Maharaja Chhatarsinghji
Maharaja Mayurdhwaj Jaladhip
Thakursaheb Daulatsinhji
Sir Gangadharrrao Patwardhan
Shrimant Shankarrao Patwardhan
Balasaheb Pant
Sir Syed Reza Ali Khan
Sir Syed Ahmed Ali Khan
Sahebzada Abu Samad Khan
Ibrahim Khan
Mirza Husain Yawar Khan
Nawabzada Khan Mohammed Tolay
Nawabzada Syed Hussam Bilgrami
Nawab Jung Nawab Hyder
Nawab Sir Amin Jung Jung Bahadur
Chintamanrao Patwardhan
Sampatrao Gaikwad
Shrimant Bhau Ramrao Venkatrao
Diwan Suryashankar Mehta
Sheikh Abdul Khaliq
Sorab M. Bharucha
W.C.Banwejee
Sir Rash Bihari Ghose
Kishab Chandra Sen
Romesh Chanra Dutt
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Sardar Sir R.J. Vakil
David Abraham
S.V. Sista
Ayaz Peerbhoy
Rasesh Mafatlal
Justice D.P. Madon
Justice Prakash Narain.
J.B. Kanga
D.D. Davar
M.P. Kapadia
D.R. Pradhan
R.K. Saiyad
Parikshit Sahni
Ashok Kumar Ganguly.
Dr. Phiroze Sethna.
Nanik Rupani.
G. L. Raheja.
Narayan Varma.
Sir Reginald Spence.
Jamshed N Guzder
Dr. Shantilal J Mehta
Dr. Framroz Sethna
Dr. Homiyar Dastoor
Dr. Mohanlal Modi
Dr. Jamnadas Merchant
Rustomji A Wadia
David Shellim
Nariman S Patel
Damodar D. Meht
Jaya Chamaraja Wadeyar
Justice P.N.Khanna
Justice G Ramanujam
Justice S.S.Ali
Justice R Bhattacharya
Justice V Ramaswamy
Justice S Natarajan
Justice A.B.Saharya
Dr Gaur Hari Singhania
Justice S Padmanabhan
Justice V Ratnam
Justice B.S.Sinha
Justice Devinder Gupta
H.H.Marthanda Varma
Justice U Sinha
Justice A.R.Lakshmanan
Justice S Jagadeesan
C.A.Ramakrishnan I.C.S.
Prof M.S.Thacker
Justice K Veeraswami
Justice T Ramprasad Rao
Cav.Dr.G.K Devarajulu
Justice N.S.Ramaswamy
Sitaram Jaipuria
G Ramaswamy
V.P.Raman
Srikanta Datta
Narasimharaja Wadiyar
Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy
Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah
Aga Khan
Dr. Badruddin Tyabji
The Nawab Of Pataudi
Mansur Ali Khan
Maharaja of Scindia
Mr Madhav Rao Scindia
Maharaja of Bobbili
Ardaseer Cursetji Wadia
Chittaran Das
Gaganendranath Tagore