Freemasonry and the chambers of secrets

It was at the turn of the 20th century that a secretive fraternity, known as Freemasonry, set up a branch called the Lodge Siwalik in the Doon Cantonment. For decades, the mystery surrounding its workings remained intact and sparked off people's imaginations. But not one single member was ready to divulge the details about the rituals or activities held within the four walls of Lodge Shiwalik, Dr. Durga Prasad No 62, situated at 18, Beacher Road. But this year the impossible happened and this address was opened up for public viewing.

What unfolded here was an initiative traced back to the construction of the Temple of King Solomon, as described in the Bible. Legend has it that the construction undertaking was so vast that a new form of organisation was required to ensure that the temple was completed in time and as per specifications.

This was high precision work with a lot of aesthetic and other values attached with the work force. This workforce, including master masons and architects involved in the work, soon were graded and a new creed evolved that represented a high degree of excellence and a strict code of conduct. Thus Freemasonry was born and spread out to other countries.

Masons in the Mediaeval Age built great cathedrals. In order to construct such marvels, they were to have considerable education in the principles of geometry, arithmetic, art, engineering, etc., and the guild of stonemasons, including architects, became one of the few repositories of learning outside the church. When the wave of cathedral building ebbed and the Renaissance began, the Freemasons of the time sought to maintain their organisation by accepting into membership talented men, for discussion of the philosophical kind.

From a crafts guild, Freemasonry then grew into a fraternity that operated in Scottish lodges during the early 1600s. After the first Grand Lodge in England was set up, a need was felt to set up a lodge in India by the British who were then ruling India.

CALCUTTA CONNECTION

The honour of receiving Freemasonry in India goes to Calcutta. In 1730, officers of the East India Company held their meetings in Fort William, Calcutta. The number given to the Lodge was 72. Bombay and Punjab were next in line. Omdat-ul-Omrah, the Nawab of Carnatic, was the first Indian Mason. The second was M. Bandeh Ali Khan, initiated in Marine Lodge, Calcutta, in 1812. Much later an Independent Grand Lodge of India was constituted on November 24, 1961, in Ashok Hotel, Delhi. Three delegates from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, Ireland and England were present. Major General Dr Sir Syed Raza Ali Khan, His Highness The Nawab of Rampur was installed as the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India. Lodge Siwalik in Dehradun was amongst the lodges under the Grand Lodge of India and became Lodge No. 62. Some of the prominent Indians who were Freemasons were Swami Vivekananda, Motilal Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, among others.

FOR BROTHERHOOD AND CHARITY

Well, one can call it the Dan Brown effect. The society is now more open about its 'secrets' as well. This has also been a guiding principle of the current Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India, Capt. Dr. Biswakumar. Adds Arora, "Actually what we do here is that we take in good men and make them better persons. But there has to be one underlying foundation - the person must be a believer in God. The Lodge is totally secular. We practice brotherhood and charity. The origins of Freemasonry can be traced back to the master crafts-persons of the medieval years. Everything that we do finds allusion to what a mason does. We also explain everything in terms of the tools of a mason. The symbolism attached relates to taking in raw material and making it fit for expert workmanship. Thereby members are rendered more useful for society by way of enhanced morals, principles and education. It's a constant learning process. "

MYTH & FACTS

Asked about the secrecy aspects, Senior Deacon Sudhir Arora discloses, "The secrets are like guru mantras that help us become better human beings. But an organisation that has over six million members all over the world can hardly be secretive. Actually there are a lot of myths and legends about the society which are quite incorrect. I would like to say that we are not a secret society, but a society with secrets. In the olden days, it was a close body of people with special skills. In those days, to be a master mason was prized. Learning in those days was a scarce and precious commodity because it was found only in the clergy, nobility and masonry."

MASONIC TEMPLE

The buildings from which Freemasonry operates are termed as Masonic Temples. All temples are built in the East-West direction. Placed at the altar here are religious books from five main religions.

"Though all religions are given equal importance here, Masonry is not a religious society," states Sumeet Nanda, the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, adding, "The belief in God is a primary requirement of being a mason but every brother is free to practice his own religion and practice other religions as well."