History

A few like minded members of Lodge Raisina thought it proper to secure a suitable site and build a Masonic Temple at Raisina, as New Delhi was then know. This issue was deliberated on and it was unanimously decided that it should not be the property of any individual Lodge and that the building of the Temple should be a matter for the Masons of Delhi in general to ensure the effective development of the institution.

Sixteen likeminded brethren responded to the invitation of W.Bro. P. Sinha, Secretary Lodge Raisina, and a meetings of Freemasons of Delhi Lodges was held at Freemasons’ Hall, Kudsia Gardens wherein it was suggested that an Association based on the lines of the Association of The Masonic Fraternity of Simla be formed, which would be responsible for the Masonic Temple and the maintenance thereof. The decision thus taken on 22^nd March, 1922 laid the foundation of the intended structure – There is however no written record of this association having met formally until October 1925, but efforts to secure the site were constantly on and the role of W.Bro. Needham, the President of the Association cannot be ignored for the selection of the site for the temple building.  It had a frontage to Queensway (Now the Janpath) and Jantar Mantar on the other side on the right was The hotel Imperial and the left the Cottage Industries Emporium, the site so aptly chosen and defined in the heart of the City within a measurable distance of the most fashionable shopping centre ‘The Connaught Place’ and in walking distance from the Western and Eastern Courts.  

The Association soon took the form of a registered body working in the name and style of The Masonic Fraternity of Delhi which was duly registered on the 10^th November, 1925 under the Companies Act 1925 and W. Bro. Sir Basil Blackett was elected as President.  W.Bro. R.A.Needham, JKS Fleming, James Wilkie, I. Cooper, A. E Higgins and C.M. Ganapathy, the aforesaid brethren who signed the petition for the formation of the association also signed the statutory Memorandum and Article of the Association and had Liabilities to shoulder in the event of the dissolution of the association.   These enterprising and like minded masons were soon joined by many more to support the former in the laudable undertaking.

The Masonic Fraternity of Delhi saw the most adverse situations and grew from a stage of infancy to boyhood and 4^th April, 1935 goes back in the pages of history when W.Bro. His Excellency the Rt. Hon’ble Earl of Willingdon, Viceroy and Governor General of India laid the foundation Stone of the Masonic Temple in New Delhi in the presence of other prominent personalities.

As a project which would house the Freemasons in New Delhi for times to come the brethren emptied there pockets for the cause of the institution, The royalty was not far they supported the efforts of the brethren and contributed towards the noble cause the prominent were H H the Nizam of Hyderabad, H H the Maharaja of Kashmir, H H the Maharaja of Patiala, H H the Maharaja of Bikaner, H H the Maharaja Rana of Dholpur and H H the Nawab of Rampur. The architect of the building Bro. F.B. Blomfield donated half his fees to the building fund, other operative masons came forward to offer free services / services at reduced rates. So with the help, co-operation, determination and hard work of the brethren the stone laid in the N.E. was built up into a super structure to compare well with the other beautiful buildings of New Delhi and provide all facilities as are required for a Masonic Temple.  

The furnishings done for the temple were done keeping the very limited funds available, H H The Maharaja of Patiala also presented an organ for the Temple, which is still there in the Freemasons hall, (Though not in working position any more). The temple was tastefully lighted and had facility for heating and cooling.  The District Grand Lodge of Punjab came forward and donated beautiful framed pictures which still enrich the walls of the committee rooms in the premises.

February 24, 1936 was the day when W.Bro. Lt. Col. H.L.O. Garrett, W. the Dy. Distt. Grand Master dedicated the temple for and on behalf of the the District Grand Lodge of Punjab. The new building of the Masonic fraternity which housed only Lodge Raisina soon became the abode and meeting place of three more craft Lodges (Imperial, Elysium and Donoughmore) and a number of Chapters, Councils and Conclaves which meet in the same premises till date.

Amongst other things which complimented and supplemented the Masonic temple was the Library which came up with the joint efforts of all the Masonic bodies meeting in the premises, who gave there individual Lodge / Chapter collections to the common library for the brethren of all the lodges to benefit from.  The library has a collection of Masonic Literature, books and periodicals, which now forms the collection of  the Grand Lodge of India for the brethren to benefit from.

With the growth of Masonic activity in New Delhi, the need to provide suitable facilities for a Club House where members and there families could meet and have an inexpensive club life in surroundings which were not only familiar but were also near and dear to them for a variety of reasons, this proposal was presented over years from 1938 onwards and finally in 1945 the opinion amongst brethren became strong and pronounced in favour of the formation of the club, which got all the help from various lodges and brethren and was formally declared open by W.Bro. Maneckji B. Dadabhoy on March 20, 1946 – the membership of the club was restricted to members of the various Masonic bodies in New Delhi.

The Independence of India saw the capital moving from Calcutta and Simla respectively to New Delhi, which gave a boost to Masonic activity in New Delhi with a lot many lodges, chapters, councils, conclaves, preceptories migrating to New Delhi and the Freemasons’ Hall Janpath as we know it today was there to accommodate all the migrations.

Eventually November, 1961 was the month and year when Grand Lodge of India came into existence and as on date the same premises is the Head Quarters of The Grand Lodge of India, The Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India, The District Grand Lodge of Northern India and other Masonic Bodies operating in the area.

Amongst the most prominent is the General Williams Masonic Poly Clinic which gets more than  500 people from different strata of the society who benefit with Medical opinion provided by specialists in almost all the fields of Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Allopathic, Medicine, Dentistry, Etc. Medical investigations being done under one roof at the most reasonable costs any where in the city, a full fledged Physiotherapy section, radiology section .