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Short History of Lodge Rising Star of Western India No. 342. Lodge Rising Star is the first Lodge founded for admitting the natives of India to the privileges of Freemasonry. At the time of its institution in 1843, there were supposed to be many difficulties in the way, difficulties of race, difficulties of social custom, of political equality, differences of enlightenment and perhaps many others. But there were stout hearts who, headed by Bro. Dr. James Burnes (Provincial Grand Master of Western India, Scottish Constitution), maintained and desired to prove that masonry belonged to no creed or colour, to no climate or race. The Foundation of the Lodge has broken the spell of ages. Freemasonry first came to India in 1728, when a Lodge was founded in Bengal, but till Lodge Rising Star was founded, Freemasonry was the privilege of Europeans only. The Lodge came into existence as a result of the movement started in or about 1840 by the late Mr. Maneckjee Cursetjee, a prominent citizen of Bombay. He applied to the Old Lodge Perseverance No. 546 (then under the English Constitution) to be Initiated into Freemasonry. His application was rejected not on any ground of personal disqualification or demerit, but solely on the ground that he was an Indian. It was alleged that it would be difficult for Europeans to know the qualifications of an Indian Candidate and to assess his merits for admission into Freemasonry. Fortunately, Mr. Maneckjee was blessed with an undauntable spirit and on his rejection to the portals of Freemasonry, he started an agitation for the admission of Indians into Freemasonry. This just cause found favour with the Duke of Sussex who was then the Grand Master of England. In 1841, Mr. Maneckjee set sail for England with a view to become a Mason then under the patronage of the Duke of Sussex, but when he reached England, His Grace was on the Continent. Mr. Maneckjee then went to Paris. Due to the good offices of the Duke of Caze, Grand Master of the Orient of France, he was Initiated in Lodge A La Ggloria de l`Universe. On his return to Bombay, he and twenty seven Masons were presented to the Provincial Grand Master of Western India, Bro. Dr. James Burnes, praying that they may by a dispensation be constituted into a Lodge, and that the Provincial Grand Master should be first Master of the Lodge. On the day of its formation, the names of Mr. A. C. Wadia (an eminent Engineer and the first Indian to be made a Fellow of the Royal Society) and three Moghul Mohamedan Merchants were proposed for Initiation. At the next meeting in January 1844 two Indians were Initiated, and for the first time in a Masonic Lodge the Zend Avesta and the Quran were put alongside the Bible on the Altar. Further information on Freemasonry in India can be obtained via the "Lodge Rising Star of Western India No. 342" Homepage |
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Copyright: Lodge St Bryde No 579 Revised: November 10, 2007 .
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