Is Freemasonry related to hindu religion?

Masonic origins do not trace back to India, nor does the philosophy of the Craft derive from Indian philosophical systems 1. In lodge practice, however, Freemasonry has long provided a common meeting ground for members of various faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, who assemble together under shared moral principles while respecting individual religious and social customs 1.

In the Scottish Rite, Albert Pike drew comparative parallels between Hindu theology and esoteric philosophy 2. Pike observed that fundamental Hindu doctrines—specifically the belief in one supreme God, the immortality of the soul, and a future state of rewards and punishments—share essential principles with universal religious thought 2. In his commentary on the degrees, he examined Hindu concepts of creation, preservation, and renovation, as well as the manifestation of the divine Word, analyzing them alongside other ancient wisdom traditions to illustrate the philosophical themes of the Rite 2.

While Freemasonry maintains no direct historical or doctrinal relationship with the Hindu religion, Craft lodges in multi-faith regions have enabled Hindu Masons to participate alongside brethren of other traditions 1, and commentators in the Scottish Rite have cited Hindu texts and concepts in their comparative studies of moral and religious philosophy 2.