What is the Grand Lodge of India and how did it come about?

The Grand Lodge of India was officially constituted on 24 November 1961 in New Delhi as the sovereign governing authority for Indian lodges, following more than two centuries of Masonic activity under overseas warrants. As set out in historical accounts published by the Grand Lodge of India, the movement toward a self-governing national body began in earnest in October 1959, when the leaders of the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, and Scotland met in London and concluded that an independent sovereign jurisdiction for India should be actively pursued.

To guide the process, a steering committee composed entirely of Indian members was formed under the chairmanship of Lieutenant General Sir Harold Williams. In December 1960, the three home Grand Lodges issued joint guidance affirming that individual lodges in India would be allowed to vote freely on whether to join the proposed national body or remain under their existing parent constitutions, with all existing rights fully preserved for those opting out.

When the poll was conducted among 277 eligible lodges, 145 lodges—representing just over 52 percent—voted to join the new national body. These participating lodges became known as Foundation Lodges. At the inaugural assembly held at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi, official delegations from the Grand Lodges of Scotland, Ireland, and England formally constituted the Grand Lodge of India, establishing fraternal recognition while allowing non-participating lodges to continue under their original home constitutions.

The source named below is not among the works in my library. I named it from memory rather than by consulting it, so it may be online or in print elsewhere. What it says may well be right — please check it at the source. “As set out in historical accounts published by the Grand Lodge of India, the movement toward a self-governing national body began in earnest in…”

Lodges operating in India under English, Irish, and Scottish warrants were given a choice prior to the 1961 inauguration of the Grand Lodge of India: they could either join the new sovereign national authority or remain under their original parent Grand Lodges. As set out in historical documentation published by the District Grand Lodge of India under the Scottish Constitution, concordats signed between the three home Grand Lodges and the newly formed Grand Lodge of India guaranteed that lodges choosing not to join would continue to enjoy their existing rights and privileges under their respective parent bodies.

Out of 277 eligible lodges active across India at the time, 145 opted to join the new sovereign Craft Grand Lodge, while 132 chose to retain their allegiance to the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, or Scotland. Following the vote, the parent Grand Lodges reorganized their local administrative bodies to govern the remaining lodges. The Grand Lodge of Scotland, as recorded in its District Grand Lodge history, established District Grand Lodges in Western India and Eastern India to supervise its continuing lodges.

Today, all four Craft constitutions continue to operate side by side within India. Historical overviews published by the District Grand Lodge of Bombay note that the United Grand Lodge of England maintains four District Grand Lodges in Bengal, Bombay, Madras, and Northern India, while the Grand Lodge of Ireland maintains a Provincial Grand Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Scotland maintains its District structure alongside the independent Grand Lodge of India.

The source named below is not among the works in my library. I named it from memory rather than by consulting it, so it may be online or in print elsewhere. What it says may well be right — please check it at the source. “As set out in historical documentation published by the District Grand Lodge of India under the Scottish Constitution, concordats signed between the…”“The Grand Lodge of Scotland, as recorded in its District Grand Lodge history, established District Grand Lodges in Western India and Eastern India to…”“Historical overviews published by the District Grand Lodge of Bombay note that the United Grand Lodge of England maintains four District Grand Lodges…”

Lodge of Perfect Unanimity is the oldest surviving lodge still working in Chennai. Early record lists compiled by Walter Kelly Firminger note that the lodge appeared on eighteenth-century calendars as No. 1 on the Coast of Coromandel, revived in 1786 2. Although English authority had warranted lodges at Madras as early as 1752 1 and 1755 1, those earlier bodies did not continuously survive.

The website of the District Grand Lodge of Madras under the United Grand Lodge of England confirms that Lodge of Perfect Unanimity No. 150 EC was consecrated on 7 October 1786 and remains the senior-most working lodge in the district. It was formed by a local union of Atholl and Regular Masons in Madras, a reconciliation that preceded the 1813 Union of the rival Grand Lodges in England. Over its history of more than two centuries, the lodge convened at several notable addresses across Chennai—including Fort St. George, a Marina Beach building that later became the State Police Headquarters, and Mount Road—before settling at Freemasons' Hall on Ethiraj Salai in Egmore.

The source named below is not among the works in my library. I named it from memory rather than by consulting it, so it may be online or in print elsewhere. What it says may well be right — please check it at the source. “The website of the District Grand Lodge of Madras under the United Grand Lodge of England confirms that Lodge of Perfect Unanimity No. 150 EC was…”