Page 14 - MML - Journal - Centenary Edition - Vol. 01 / 2023

1946 the lodge passed a resolution to become a “Patron Lodge of the Royal Masonic Hospital”
In the year 1946 R. W. Bro. T. V. Muthukrishna Aiyar, a member of the lodge became the District Grand Master of Madras. Muththanna as he was affectionately called was the first Indian to be appointed as the District Grand Master. In order to aid and assist the inter-mingling of European and Indian brethren he conceived the ‘Dive old and mild No.1’ of the pre-historic order of ancient, free and easy old bar stewards. The primary object of the dive is charity and towards the end of every meeting a charity charge was read out and the collections made were donated to the District Charity. In consonance with its unique membership the officers were appropriately named as most hospitable land lord (WM)and Senior and Junior Barman (Wardens). The bar dive is probably the only one of its kind in the masonic world. Immediately after the formation of Grand Lodge of India, There was a proposal to form a lodge under the name of Lodge Muthanna, in honour of R. W. Bro Muthukrishna Aiyar but the Grand Lodge declined to give permission to form the lodge. He finally passed away on 9th October 1966.
In the year 1947 India became an independent nation. Thereafter on 05-01- 1949 the Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of England informed the masters of various lodges in the district to hold a special meeting to resolve on the question raised in a joint circular issued by the District Grand Masters of Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Punjab asking whether the lodges desire to form a sovereign Grand Lodge for the whole of India or four different Grand Lodges based on the existing districts. The Madras Masters Lodge on 07-02-1949 voted that no change was advisable as the question was premature. A similar decision was taken by 29 out of 36 lodges in the district.
On 15-08-1952 W. Bro. Maj. Gen. H. H. Nawab Sir Syed Raza Ali Khan, Nawab of Rampur who later became the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India became a joining member of the lodge. At this juncture it is relevant to mention that all the District Grand Masters of the district of Madras joined the lodge since its inception till the lodge opted to join the Grand Lodge of India in the year 1961. They are R.W. Bro. Archibald Campbell, R W Bro. George Boag, R W Bro. T. V. Muthukrishna Aiyer and R W Bro. Lt. Col. Gurdial Gill. Incidentally R. W. Bro. G.S. Gill who was the Inspector General of Prisons was the co-founder of the Gurudwara at T. Nagar, the Guru Nanak College and also the Punjab Association. The area Gill Nagar in Madras was named after him. Some of the Grand Masters and several of the Regional Grand Masters of the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India were also members. Among them are the first Regional Grand Master R W Bro. S. T. Srinivasagopalachari and the ruling Regional Grand Master R W Bro. T. N. Manoharan.
Till the lodge became part of the GLI contributions were made in every installation meeting to the following institutions:
1. Royal Masonic Institution for boys 2. Royal Masonic institution for girls 3. Royal Masonic hospital
4. Royal Masonic benevolent fund
5. The Madras Masonic Institution and
6. The District Grand fund of benevolence.
W Bro. P. Sadasivam became the secretary of the lodge in the year 1953 and he continued in that position till 1957. W Bro. V. N. Krishna Rao succeeded him and served for two years followed by W Bro. Santhanakrishna Naidu who occupied that position for four years.
In the year 1961 the three parent Grand Lodges, namely, English, Scottish and Irish, after several meetings decided to inaugurate
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A Publication of Madras Masters Lodge No. 103, GLI
Madras Masonic Journal Vol. 01 / 2023 - Centenary Year Edition