How does Freemasonry in India accommodate different faiths?

Accommodating candidates of diverse religious faiths in Indian lodges rests on the principle that membership is open to anyone of good moral character who believes in a Supreme Being, regardless of their specific faith. As the Grand Lodge of India states, candidates take their obligations on the Volume of the Sacred Law sacred to their own personal faith, while the scriptures of all major religions practiced in India are displayed open on the altar simultaneously during lodge proceedings to reflect the institution's universal character.

Historically in the Craft, nineteenth-century rulings by District Grand Masters in India established that candidates must assume their obligations upon the scripture most binding upon their own consciences, specifying the Koran for Muslim candidates, the Shastras for Hindus, and the Zendavesta for Parsees 1. Under nineteenth-century English Constitution practice in India, the Christian Bible was maintained open in the lodge room while non-Christian candidates took their obligations upon their respective holy books 1. In 1885, the District Grand Lodge of India under the Grand Lodge of Scotland formally recognized this multi-faith practice by instituting official lodge roles for Bible, Zendavesta, Koran, and Shastras Bearers 1.

In the Scottish Rite, a parallel tradition exists, where multiple holy books are placed upon the altar to accommodate members of different religious persuasions 2.

Volumes of the Sacred Law used in lodges operating in India reflect the diverse religious traditions of the candidates. Present-day lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of India keep five sacred texts opened simultaneously on the altar: the Holy Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, the Granth (Guru Granth Sahib), and the Zend Avesta.

Historically, the practice of accommodating candidates of various faiths developed across the nineteenth century. Ruling on queries from local lodges, District Grand Master rulings under the English Constitution established that candidates should take their obligations upon the scripture most binding upon their conscience—such as the Koran for Muslim candidates, the Shastras for Hindu candidates, and the Zoroastrian code or Zend Avesta for Parsee candidates—while the Bible remained open in the lodge 1. By 1885, lodges under the Grand Lodge of Scotland operating in India formally recognized official scriptural bearers, establishing officers such as Bible Bearer, Koran Bearer, and Zend Avesta Bearer 1. For Parsee Freemasons specifically, the Zend Avesta constitutes the Book of the Law 1.