how does a brother affiliate or join an existing craft lodge under the grand lodge of india

Under general principles of Masonic jurisprudence, a Master Mason seeking affiliation applies by petition to the lodge he wishes to join 1. His application is referred to an investigation committee, followed by a probation period of one month before being submitted to a vote, where a unanimous ballot is required for admission 1.

To be eligible for affiliation, an applicant must be a Master Mason and present a certificate of regular dismissal, commonly termed a demit, from his former lodge attesting to his good standing at the time of resignation 1. Unlike a candidate for initiation, who historically was restricted to the lodge nearest his residence, an affiliated Mason may choose any lodge with which he wishes to unite, without restriction to his place of residence or the lodge where he was initiated 1. Furthermore, rejection of an affiliation petition by one lodge does not bar a brother from subsequently applying to another 1.

While these general procedures define the traditional Craft framework for affiliation, the supplied historical sources do not contain the specific present-day constitution or regulations of the Grand Lodge of India.