my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Mar: Freemasons Lodge Siwalik Dr Durga Prasad No 62, the Dehradun chapter of Grand Lodge of India, installed RW Bro Sanjay Pahwa as the Worshipful Master for the year 2026-27 for the fourth time on 1 March. He was installed along with his team of officers which included RW Bro Pramod Kapur as Treasurer, W Bro Rajesh Mer as Secretary and RW Bro Sumeet Nanda as Director of Ceremonies in a ceremony held at Lychee Bagh.
Freemasonry is a unique institution which offers the experience not found in any other organisation. It is the oldest and largest worldwide fraternal society with around six million freemasons. Each country has an independent and sovereign Grand Lodge which guides and supervises Lodges, the basic unit under its jurisdiction.
Freemasonry came to India in 1728 under the Grand Lodge of London. Grand Lodge of India was formed as an independent Grand Lodge in 1961 with its present Head Office at 1, Janpath, New Delhi. Growth of Freemasonry in India can be attributed to the fact that there are more than 450 Lodges in India with the total membership of more than 25000 and spread over more than 150 cities. Some prominent Freemasons were Swami Vivekanand, Motilal Nehru, C Rajagopalachari and Fakruddin Ali Ahmed to name a few.
The basic tenets of the Freemasons are Making the Good Men Better- By believing in the Brotherhood of Men, providing relief to the needy – by indulging in Charity & Truth – Believing in the equality of all Human Beings.
Freemasons remain on the forefront in providing relief and charity in whatever field it is required, be it in the field of Education to the needy, Medical, or working hand-in-hand with the agencies in the times of any natural calamities like the Kedarnath Deluge, Corona times, etc., on the National Front and on the local front, the individual Lodges indulge themselves in various projects of charity & relief.
Some of the major projects being run by the Grand Lodge are Gen Williams Poly Clinic and a multi-Specialty Eye Clinic at 1 Janpath, New Delhi, equipped with Ultra Modern Equipment, providing free / much subsidised care to the needy, Masonic Public School in Noida – providing education to more than 3000 children, Masonic Spastic School for specially able children to name a few.
Lodge Siwalik Dr Durga Prasad No 62, the Dehradun chapter was consecrated on 23 February 1903 under Grand Lodge of England and now comes under the Northern India region of Grand Lodge of India. Major charity activities undertaken by the lodge include relief work during Covid time by providing cooked food and ration to almost 3000 families, regular ration supplies to some NGOs, scholarship to meritorious students.
About The Author
