50th Grand Festival of the Grand Lodge of India

To mark it's 50th Grand Festival, the Grand Lodge of India (sole Grand Lodge in India recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England) will organize a Grand Masonic Festivalevent in the Cultural Capital of the country, Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta). The event is hosted by the Regional Grand Lodge of Eastern India, under the gavel of Right Worshipful Regional Grand Master Sisir Kumar Ghosh (Chairman of the Grand Festival organizing Committee).

Kolkata is also the birth city of Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel Laureate), a Bengali poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music.

Also, Kolkata offered to the world a significant number of Nobel Laureates such as: Sir Ronald Ross (1902, Medicine), Rabindranath Tagore (1913, Literature; first Asian to win the Nobel Prize), C. V. Raman (1930, Physics), Mother Teresa (1979, Peace), Amartya Sen (1998, Economics). Mother Teresa (half Aromanian) founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India in 1950. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Kolkata has been nicknamed the City of Palaces. This comes from the numerous palatial mansions built all over the city. The Indian Museum is the largest museum in Asia and the oldest in the Asia - Pacific region. The National Library of India located in Alipore is India's leading library and a public library. It was inaugurated in 1836 by the Governor General Lord Metcalfe by transferring 4675 books from the College of Fort William.

Message of Regional Grand Master of Eastern India

My Dear Brethren,

It gives me immense pleasure to invite you to participate in the 50th Annual Meetings of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of India to be held on 27th and 28th November, 2010 at Kolkata. It is after a significant gap that Kolkata has been given the opportunity to host the Grand Festival. We are especially grateful to M.W. Bro. Capt. Dr. Balaram Biswakumar, O.S.M., Most Worshipful the Grand Master, for granting us this opportunity. The Brethren of Kolkata have welcomed this opportunity and the Organizing Committee is working hard to make the event a memorable one and your visit to Kolkata a pleasurable one.

Kolkata is a city with a rich Masonic past. It's very foundation was laid by Freemasons. It has borne witness to many significant Masonic activities and has given to Freemasonry some of it's most eminent sons. It was, arguably, through this city that Freemasonry reached the shores of India ans as the light from the east herald the beginning of a historic Masonic tradition in India. Those who know this city well known that many of it's landmarks were built by Freemasons. The city has also produced many Masonic luminaries through the course of over 300 years.

The Brethren of Kolkata are known for their warmth and hospitality. On behalf of the Brethren and on behalf of the Organizing Committee I welcome you all to the 50th Grand Festival and hope to see you attend in large numbers.

R.W. Bro. Sisir Kumar Ghosh
Regional Grand Master
Regional Grand Lodge of Eastern India
Chairman, Grand Festival Organizing Committee

BALARAM BISWAKUMAR - Grand Master of India

M.W.Bro. Capt. Prof. Dr. Balaram Biswakumar, OSM, M.W. the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of India – known as “Biswa” to all his friends – was born in the South Indian temple town of Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu on 11th July 1941 to Mr. K. Balaram and Mrs. Revathi.

M.W.Bro. Capt. Prof. Dr. Balaram Biswakumar, OSM saw the light of Freemasonry on 05-09-1977 when he was Initiated in Lodge Vidya No.164 under the Grand Lodge of India, thus beginning his Masonic journey to the very top, when he was Installed as the fourteenth Grand Master of this ancient and honourable fraternity at a glittering function in Chennai on 21st November 2009 in the presence of more than 1600 Masons and over 500 non-Masons, including spouses of Masons and other invited guests in the first-ever public Installation of a Grand Master. His path to this Masonic pinnacle was chequered with many significant achievements including serving as R.W. the Regional Grand Master of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India from 2002 – 2004, during which period he was presented his 25-Year Long Term Service to Masonry Jewel. Further, M.W. the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India, M.W.Bro. Justice Devinder Gupta, OSM conferred upon him the distinguished Order of Service to Masonry in March 2008.

Gran Lodge of India

On October 1959 the Most Worshipful Grand Masters of England, Ireland and the Immediate Past Grand Master Mason of Scotland met in London to discuss the future of Freemasonry in India. The three Grand Masters considered that "an independent Grand Lodge of India is desirable and that its establishment should be gradually but actively pursued."

The Grand Lodge of India was officially constituted at ten minutes to six o'clock on Friday the 24th November 1961 in the Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi. There were three delegations from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, Ireland and England in that order.

After the three delegations were received and greeted, the Grand Master Mason of Scotland proceeded with the Consecration. Thereafter, The Deputy Grand Master of Ireland officially constituted the new Grand Lodge saying "in the name of the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland and by the command of their Grand Master, I constitute and form you, my good Brethren into the Sovereign Grand Lodge of India, you are empowered henceforth to exercise all the rights and privileges of a Grand Lodge according to the ancient usage's and landmarks of the Craft. May the Grand Architect of the Universe prosper, direct and counsel you in all your proceedings."

After the Consecration and Constitution, the Deputy Grand Master of England assumed the Throne and installed Major General Dr. Sir Syed Raza Ali Khan, G.C.I.E., D.L itt., LL. D., His Highness The Nawab of Rampur, as the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India. The Aprons, Collars, Gauntlets etc. for the new Lodge were provided jointly by the three parent Grand Lodges.

In addition to the three parent Grand Lodges, the M.W. Grand Master of the Grand Lodges of the State of Israel, the M.W. Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta (Canada) and about 1,491 Brethren from all over India were present at this historic event.

Kolkata, Cultural Capital of India

Formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Kolkata is the cultural capital of India and the commercial capital of Eastern India, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought.

Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Indo-Islamic (including Mughal) motifs. Durga Puja is the most important and the most glamorous event in Kolkata. It usually takes place in the month of October, although it can also fall in September or November, depending on the traditional calendar.

Calcutta Indian museum, founded in 1814, is one of the oldest museums of Asia. It is located in Chowringhee on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The museum it has a 4,000-year-old mummy and the urn that is said to contain the ashes of Buddha.