Add this page to home your screen.1. tap share
2. select "add to home screen"
The first Scottish Masonic Craft District under the Grand Lodge of Scotland was formed in India on 1st January 1838, with Bro. Dr. James Burnes, K.H., LL. D. as the first District Grand Master. The District was named as the "Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India and Its Dependencies". Between 1857 and the present times, the name of the District was changed six times.
Soon after the District was formed in Western India, a second Scottish Province of Eastern India was formed, with the Governor of Madras, the Marquis of Tweeddale as its Provincial Grand Master. In 1846 this Province got merged with the Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India and its Dependencies and lost its separate identity.
In view of the very vast territorial area under the District, the name of the District was changed in 1875 to the "Grand Lodge of All Scottish Freemasonry in India", which continued upto 1962. It was probably the only District under the Grand Lodge of Scotland to be called a "Grand Lodge" and the only District Grand Master to be called the "Grand Master". This itself led to a controversy with the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1877, when the 'Grand Master' of India was addressed as the 'Provincial Grand Master'. The grounds were that there could not be a 'Grand Lodge' within a Grand Lodge! This resulted in the then Grand Master of India, Bro. Sir Henry Morland, protesting and resigning, and ultimately the title of 'Grand Master' was restored to his successor.
In 1962, the "Grand Lodge of All Scottish Freemasonry in India" was divided into two Districts -- the District Grand Lodge of Western India and the District Grand Lodge of Eastern India. In November 1992, these two Districts were once again merged, to form the District Grand Lodge of India, having jurisdiction over the whole of India.
Traditionally, 'Mumbai' (as Bombay is now called) has always been the Headquarters of Scottish Freemasonry in India.
The History of Scottish Freemasonry in India is detailed in the Section on History. The changes in the names of the District and the names of the District Grand Masters since the birth of Scottish Freemasonry in India in 1838, are given below:-
| Brother Dr. James Burnes | 1838 - 1850 |
| Brother Phillip William LeGeyt | 1850 - 1855 |
| Brother H. D. Cartwright | 1855 - 1860 |
| Brother G. R. Ballingal (Acting Prov. Gr. Master) | 1861 - 1863 |
| Brother Richard Bolton Barton | 1863 - 1870 |
| Brother Sir Henry Morland | 1870 - 1875 |
| Brother Sir Henry Morland | 1870 - 1875 |
| Brother Mackintosh Balfour | 1878 - 1883 |
| Brother Sir Henry Morland | 1883 - 1892 |
| Brother James W. Smith | 1892 - 1897 |
| Brother Lord Sandhurst | 1897 - 1901 |
| Brother Lord Northcote | 1901 - 1903 |
| Brother Lord Lamington | 1904 - 1908 |
| Brother Col. R. H. Forman | 1908 - 1912 |
| Brother Justice Sir Frank Beaman | 1912 - 1919 |
| Brother Major General W. F. Jennings | 1919 - 1923 |
| Brother H. P. Gibbs | 1924 - 1929 |
| Brother Sir Ernest Hotson | 1929 - 1932 |
| Brother Dr. Sir Tehmulji Nariman | 1932 - 1938 |
| Brother Sir Cecil Patrick Blackwell | 1938 - 1944 |
| Brother Sir Ivan Taunton | 1945 - 1948 |
| Brother Sir Ivan Taunton | 1948 - 1950 |
| Brother Sir Shapoorji B. Billimoria | 1950 - 1955 |
| Brother Major General H. H. Sir Syed Raza Ali Khan, Nawab of Rampur | 1955 - 1961 |
| | |
| Brother Dr. Sorab Maneckji Khambatta | 1961 - 1968 |
| Brother Albert Bernard Turner | 1968 - 1978 |
| Brother Noshir Muluk Irani | 1978 - 1985 |
| Brother Ratan Naoroji Contractor | 1985 - 1987 |
| Brother Shavak Phirozesha Dadachanji | 1988 - 1991 |
| Brother William George Miller | 1961 - 1967 |
| Brother Edward Ira Brown | 1967 - 1970 |
| Brother Ivan Goss | 1970 - 1976 |
| Brother Boris Alex Yashanoff | 1976 |
| Brother Tayebbhoy Mohomedalli | 1977 - 1979 |
| Brother Saroj Kumar Mehera | 1979 - 1984 |
| Brother Hari Singh | 1984 - 1992 |
| Brother Dhunjishaw Dinshaw Karkaria | 1992 - 1997 |
| Brother Bomi Shawaksha Mehta | 1997 - 2007 |
| Brother Aspi K Byramji | 2007 - 2017 |
| Brother Kersi J Limathwalla | 2017 - to date |
