Freemasons, the oldest secular fraternal organisation, will hold sesquicentennial (150 years) celebrations of one of its local lodges at the Goshamahal Baradari Masonic Building here on Monday. Called May Lodge No. 19, it is the oldest one in the twin cities consecrated on May 2, 1872.
A divine service and interactive session will be held to mark the occasion. Long term service jewels will be presented to Shorabji N. Chenoy and Minoo R. Pilcher for completing 60 years of membership in May Lodge on the occasion, while the 25 years service jewel would be given to Suresh Mohan Singh and G.K. Mehan, said grand master Anish Kumar Sharma, head of Freemasonary in the country on Sunday.
During his maiden visit to the city after taking over as the chief last November, Mr. Sharma said a 50-year service jewel was presented to Ramdorai Manian on Sunday on the sidelines of a press conference.
Freemasonry has been in India since 1730 through the East India Company and in the city, since 1810. It has 23 lodges (branches) in the twin cities of Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Warangal and Nalgonda with about 800 members.
The May Lodge will also be presenting tools to 10 petty traders, to restart their lost livelihoods due to COVID and since August 2020, nearly 180 carpenters, electricians, street vendors and others have been helped at an estimated cost of ₹3 crore, said regional grand master V.G. Madhusudan.
Masonry is spread in India across 200 towns and cities with 440 masonic lodges and over 200 other masonic bodies with a total membership of about 22,000 Freemasons. The organisation will be observing the ‘Universal Brotherhood Day’ across the country on June 24 when its members open up to explain the various activities being undertaken, added Mr. Sharma.
Locally notable Freemasons include Salar Jung Bahadur, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Sir Terrence Keys - the British Resident, Raja Venkata Ram Reddy, Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jang and Nawab Ali Yavar Jang Bahadur, who became Governors of Gujarat and Maharashtra, Bakshi Raghunath Pershad, Syed Mohd. Bilgrami, Nawab Shamsher Jung Bahadur, Meher Ali Fazil, Nawab Bashir Yar Yung, Raja Rajwant Bahadur, and Syed Hali Ali.
