The Silvery Dawn Lodge, originally constituted as the Light of Asia on 5th May, 1960 was later renamed with its current name on 1st May, 1975. The Lodge meets on the first Thursday of every month in Freemasons Hall, Mumbai, except the months of May and October. It follows the tradition of ' European Concepts' or 'Vitruvian Lodges'. It does not hasten its new members through degrees. Instead it allows its new members to go through a structured mentoring program at individual pace to make them feel comfortable in the fraternal order. The Lodge always encourages its members to have a thorough grasp and appreciation of ritual workings as they progress through degrees. As a result the Lodge demonstrates high standards of ritual workings. The lodge is always an active supporter of District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its several initiatives. Continuing the age old tradition of sharing a formal meal in fellowship, offering toasts, adhering to protocols remains a welcome and uplifting event as part of every Lodge meeting. Sometimes the brethren also go to public dining places for more casual dining experiences in fellowship. The Silvery Dawn Lodge remains as men of character and integrity who profess social and spiritual equality – truly a Lodge of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Established in 1861, The District Grand Lodge of Bombay (DGL Bombay) has created a considerable geographical impact in India. It was, and is headquartered at Freemasons’ Hall, Damodardas Sukhadwala Marg, Fort, Mumbai 400001, India. Although, its members are spread across 23 Craft Lodges located in Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Nagpur, Jabalpur, Bilaspur, as well as in smaller cities or towns like Ahmednagar, Deolali, Bhusaval and Khadki.
DGL Bombay operates in the jurisdiction of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), headquartered at Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, LondonWC2B 5AZ, UK.
Until the early 1960's, therefore, there were three Masonic Constitutions in India, viz. The English, Scottish and Irish, owing allegiance to their respective Grand Lodges headquartered in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Freemasonry came to India during the British Raj. It was brought here by the English, the Scottish and the Irish, all of whom established their Lodges in this country, with their own rules, rituals and practices, which are called "Constitutions".
Membership to lodges was restricted only to expatriates, but over time all three Constitutions conferred membership to Indians as well, first to Royalty and Nobility, and later to the laity.
For Masonic administrative purposes, the area of Masonic operations in India is divided into 4 Districts, viz. the Districts of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and Northern India. Each District has affiliated to it several Lodges in various locations throughout its geographical limits. Each District is essentially autonomous, although, all share a very close relationship with one another as well as with the three other Constitutions.
All 4 Indian Districts have their respective District Grand Masters, their own Boards of Governance, their own set of By-laws and their own charity programs. Reciprocal inter-District and inter- Constitution visitations to one another’s events are a regular feature of Masonry in India. They help keep fraternal relations warm and the fraternity alive.
Freemasonry’s origin being lost in obscurity, numerous theories abound about how and when and where it came to be. Its roots, it is said, lie in ancient history.
The most plausible theory places its origin in Middle Ages Europe when church and cathedral building was pursued with great fervour. During this time an immense number of masons, working with stone, wood and other material were employed by the church builders. Not all were experts or masters in their field, and many were apprenticed to receive hands-on training on the job.
The Great Architect is not a specific Masonic god or an image that is a combination of all gods into one. Men of differing religions freely practice & pray together without offence being given to any of them. Freemasonry embraces all men who believe in God. Its membership includes Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Parsees and others.
The tercentenary of Grand Lodge in June 2017 was celebrated in style throughout the year, culminating with a special meeting of Grand Lodge in the Royal Albert Hall, which was presided over by the Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Kent KG.
Modern Freemasonry may be considered to be born during the inception of the Premier Grand Lodge, a Masonic body dedicated to the governance of Masonic activity in all lodges. This was created when four Lodges meeting in their respective taverns in London got together in 1717 to establish the same. The history of modern Freemasonry, or Masonry for short, has been very well documented and makes for very instructive, and often very entertaining, reading.
With time, British expatriates working in the colonies established Masonic Lodges where they were domiciled, and Masonry took off in a big way around the globe, particularly in America, where three quarters of the world’s Masons currently reside.
