Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

Friday, the 27th February, 1925, was a historic landmark in the Masonic life of Madras. On that day His Excellency the Governor of Madras opened the new Freemasons' Hall and in the evening the Temple within the Hall was dedicated by the Rt. Wor. District Grand Master.

The Afternoon Ceremony

Early in the afternoon Commander-in-Chief's Road was lined with curious passers - by whose attention had been arrested by the festoons and flags decorating the archway of the gate leading of the new Freemasons Hall, which has for some time, as it neared completion, attracted admiration for its classical and dignified simplicity, a particularly pleasing view of it being seen from Greams Road across the Cooum. At 4:45 PM His Excellency the Governor and Viscountess Goschen arrived in state, escorted by the Bodyguard, and were received by the Rt. Wor. District Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. A.Y.G. Campbell and Mrs. Campbell, and the Wor. Deputy District Grand Master, Wor. Bro. P.M. Sivagnana Mudaliar. The following Grand Officers and District Grand Officers were presented to His Excellency the Governor and Viscountess Goschen :

W. Dewan Bahadur V. Tirumalai Pillai, P.A.G.D.C., P.D.G.W.W.,
Sir Arthur Knapp, P.G.D., P.D.G.W.,
W. J. W. Madeley, D.S.G.W.,
W. B. V. Krishniengar, D.J.G.W.,
W. Rao Sahib C. M. Maduranayakam Pillai, P.D.G.W.,
W. Rao Bahadur B. Mopurappah, P.D.G.W., D.G. Secretary,
Bro. Rev. F. W. Stait, D.G. Chaplain,
W. Col. R. F. Standage, D.G. Director of Ceremonies,

Their Excellencies were given seats on a dais facing an amphitheatre under a tastefully decorated pandal where were assembled the visitors, Masons and others.

After prayer offered by the Rev. T. W. Stait, District Grand Chaplain, the following statement was made by Wor Bro. Sir Alexander MacDougall, President, District Board of General Purposes, of the origin, erection, completion and finance of the building scheme, praising the work of the architects and the generosity of the Rajahs of Venkatagiri and Ramnad, various Lodges and individual contributors to the work of building the Hall :

"The history of Freemasonry in Madras City is more or less the history of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity. Our ancient Brethren were operative Masons and it is possibly due to this connection that modern Freemasons always aspire to possess building of their own. The Lodge of Perfect Unanimity has had several homes in the city, but eventually settled in the building on the Mount Road. Other Lodges which were founded from time to time in the city met in rented buildings in Vepery. The District Grand Lodge as such had no home of its own. As years passed, it was felt that a central home for the Freemasons of the district was necessary and the Lodges working in the Madras City decided that, if the District Grand Lodge acquired a building, they would occupy it for their meetings and pay rent.

The scheme was brought to fruition in the year 1905 when the District Grand Lodge acquired the property belonging to the Lodge Perfect Unanimity for Rs.80,000. Additions were made to the building in 1906.

As time went on and with the growth of Freemasonry, the building was eventually considered to be inadequate and unsatisfactory for our particular purpose. Extensive repairs involving a large sum of money were required to put the premises in satisfactory condition and it was finally decides, rather than do this, to sell the property, purchase another site and erect a more commodious, convenient and modern building.

The Mount Road property was sold for Rs.1,35,000. In April 1917, the present site was acquired for Rs.35,750.

The Lodge met temporarily in the adjoining building known as Chesney Hall which was not quite suitable. It was decided, therefore, to erect temporary premises which could be utilized afterwards for the Administrative Offices of the District. This temporary accommodation cost Rs.22,000.

The preliminary negotiations for the erection of the New Temple took time to settle. Messrs Jackson and Barker's design was finally accepted, contracts placed, the chief corner - stone was laid by the Hon'ble the Viscount Willingdon on the 26th February, 1923. Progress with the building had been very rapid and exactly two years to a day after the laying of the cornerstone, His Excellency the Viscount Goschen is opening the building.

The accommodation consists principally of two Lodge Rooms on the first floor and two Dining Rooms on the ground floor ; the subsidiary rooms consist of an Office and Retiring Room for the District Grand Master. Robing and other minor rooms in connection with the Lodge Rooms, Cloak and Service Rooms ; Kitchens and Stores in connection with the Dining Room.

The design on the building which if finished internally and externally with fine polished Madras plaster is based on Greek motifs modified necessary to suit modern conditions of planning and Indian conditions of climate. Externally the details has been kept as simple as possible with a view to adding dignity to the general appearance and to increasing as far as possible the durability of the plaster finish. The building relies very largely for is external effect on the ionic Colonnade forming its northern elevation. Internally, an architectural feature has been made of winding staircase which is semi-circular in plan, forms the entrance to the more purely Masonic portion of the building and this if emphasized by framing it between two columns of the Greek Doric Order.

The Architects who designed the work and supervised its construction are Messrs Jackson being responsible for the planning and for the general architectural designing and detailing of the exterior and interior of the building ; Mr. H. W. Barker, A.M. Inst.C.E.F.S.I., besides dealing generally in conjunction with his Partner with constructional matters, being responsible for designing the steel work, reinforced concrete work, water-supplies, drainage and disposal sewage system.

As General Contractor, Mr. K. Raman Menon, is responsible amongst many other things for the joinery and fine plaster work, both to the architect's details. The former portion being of a quality superior to that usually met with in Madras and the later being of a type not executed in Madras for many years.

With the exception of certain special door and window furniture which was obtained in London, it is interesting to note that the whole of the work was supplied and erected by Madras firms.

In this connection special attention may be called to the marble flooring in the Lodge Rooms by Messrs Lakshmi Ratans, Ltd., to the Bronze Grilles, Metal Masonic Symbols, War Memorial and Opening Ceremony Tablets executed by Messrs P. Orr & Sons, Ltd. to the Lodge and Dining Room furniture be Messrs. Spencer & Co. Ltd., and to the curved wrought iron railings to the staircase by Messrs. The Crompton Engineering Co. Ltd.

The building was first estimated to cost Rs.3,15,000 but this was subsequently reduced to Rs.2,60,000. The Building Committee have endeavoured to keep the cost within at amount. Certain extras not taken into consideration originally have been found necessary as the work proceeded so that now the completed building is expected to cost Rs.2,90,000. Owing to the world depression during recent years from which India did not escape, the finding of this large sum of money has been no light task. We have not been able to collect the full amount required, but have secured a very substantial sum. Rs.78,000 were provided by the sale proceeds of the old building after the cost of the temporary structure had been met. Approximately Rs.1,40,000 has been subscribed by individual brethren and Lodges. Rs.50,000 more will be borrowed from the Madras Masonic Institution, for which second debentures on the new building will be issued. On the previous building there was a debt of Rs.65,000 due to the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity, which was given free of all interest till the year 1956, while the Benevolent Fund and the Madras Masonic Institution provided Rs.22,000 more.

We are deeply indebted to the great interest in our building which has been taken by many individual brethren and Lodges. To Wor. Bro. The Rajah of Venkatagiri our thanks are due, for his very handsome contribution of Rs.15,000. The Rajah of Ramnad is also to be thanked for similar amount. The Lodges worthy of mention in this connection are the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity with a contribution of Rs.18,184 and Lodge Pitt Macdonald, with a contribution of Rs.13,035. Individual donors name will be commemorated on boards specially designed for the purpose within the entrance to the building.

We have still to find a few thousand rupees to complete the building, but with savings anticipated by the Architect and a few more promises of donations which will be received very shortly, we hope before the contractors actually leave the building, all their bills will have been provided for.

The liquidation of the debt is being arranged for by increased fees, etc., which will provide a Sinking Fund. This fund is so arranged that as far as the present generation can see the building will be free from debt in the year 1956. We hope, however, that succeeding generation of Freemasons will follow the example set by this generation and set their minds on clearing this debt long before that date.

In requesting His Excellency to open the building and Viscountess Goschen to unveil the War Memorial Tablet, the Rt. Wor. District Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. A.Y.G. Campbell delivered following address:

"I have only one remark to add to the statement made by Sir Alexander MacDougall. I have had the advantage of seeing this building at various stages of its erection and I have been very much impressed by the great care and attention to detail which have been bestowed on it at every stage fby the architects and by the excellence of the workmanship throughout the building. I should like, Sir, to take this opportunity to express publicly on behalf of the Freemasonry of the district our cordial appreciation and thanks to the Architects Messrs Jackson and Barker and to the builder, Mr. Raman Menon, for the ungrudging manner in which they have devoted themselves to this work and for the very pleasing results which they have achieved.

I may perhaps say one or two with respect to Freemasonry especially in this Province. May I quote certain words prescribed for use at the ceremony of laying a foundation-stone ? "Although not operative Masons, we have from time immemorial been associated with the erection of buildings to the glory of God and for the service of mankind. We have among us secrets handed down from generation to generation by which Freemasons are known to each other and are distinguished from the rest of the world. Those secretes are lawful and honourable and are in no way incompatible with our moral, our civil or our religious duties. Our order has always been distinguished for loyalty to the throne, for obedience to the laws and institutions of the country in which we reside, for good citizenship, for goodwill to all mankind and especially for charity."

With reference to the first of these characteristics we welcome Your Excellency especially as the representative in this Province of His Majesty the King Emperor and I would ask you, Sir, on behalf of the Freemasons of the District of madras to convey our humble duty to His Majesty.

Freemasons under the English Construction owes much to the active support of members of the Royal family. At the present time our Grand Master is His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught and during the last few months three Princes have been installed as Provincial Grand Masters, the Prince of Wales for Surrey, the Duke of York for Middlesex and Prince Arthur of Connaught for Berkshire.

Freemasonry is spread over the four quarters of the world and it forms a strong bond of fellowship and goodwill between the various parts of the British Empire and certain other countries, especially the United States of America. A Freemason is sure to find friends wherever there is a Lodge under his own or an allied constitution. In England last year special measures were adopted to afford a cordial welcome to Freemasons from Overseas. Here in the Masonic District of Madras - which includes the States of Hyderabad and Mysore as well as this Presidency - Freemasonry brings together in a peculiar manner men of different races, creeds and castes, who meet in our Lodges and at Masonic functions with a greater spirit of camaraderie and good fellowship than is possible elsewhere. Many institutions have been inaugurated in recent years with the project of providing opportunities for persons belonging to different races in India to meet informally as friends, but Freemasonry has been working - unostentatiously and to a limited extent no doubt, but none the lese most effectively - to the same end for the past century and a half, for that period has elapsed since the first Indian Freemason was initiated in this Province. We have now in this district thirty-three Lodges with a membership of over 1,800 under the English Constitution besides a few Lodges under the Sister Constitutions of Scotland and Ireland. We believe established on sound lines and we hope that this hall in which various Masonic bodies in this city will meet in future will be "a building for good men and good deeds and promote harmony and brotherly love" in our midst.

I will now ask Your Excellency to be pleased to open the Freemasons' Hall and I will then invite Viscountess Goschen to unveil the memorial to those Freemasons of this District who made the great sacrifice in the War'."

His Excellency the Viscount Goschen replied in the following terms :

"I esteem it a great privilege and honour that you have invited Lady Goschen and myself to perform these two ceremonies this afternoon, the opening of this new Freemasons' Hall and the unveiling of the table in memory of those Freemasons who made the supreme sacrifices during the Great War. It is the greatest honour in that you have invited one who is himself not a Mason, and I assure you that my wife and I deeply appreciate the compliment you have paid us both. On the other hand, the fact that I am not a member of your community and stand, as it were, outside the gate, makes it difficult for me to speak on such an occasion as this an I come before you as one not having authority. Your District Grand Master and Sir Alexander MacDougall have fortunately made up for any such defects on my part by giving us already in their very interesting speeches some account of Freemasonry and its objects. I say some account, for we who know nothing of Freemasonry, know that Masons may not divulge those secrets which have been kept sacred throughout many generations and by which, in the words quoted by Mr. Campbell, Freemasons are distinguished from the rest of the world. We have been told that Freemasonry claims, as its watch - words, service, co-operation, loyalty and charity, and a finer ideal no community could lay before itself. (Cheers)

Let me say here that I gladly the duty you lay upon me of conveying to His Majesty the King Emperor the message of loyalty, to which the District Grand Master has given expression in his speech. Of cooperation, service and charity, the world never stood more in need than it does now, and a body of men working for such ends as these have a great part to play in promoting peace and goodwill among all classes and creeds. I trust that under God's providence, this new hall which I am about to open, will serve a noble purpose and help the Freemasons of Madras to go on and proper in the work they have set before themselves. (Cheers.)

Sir Alexander MacDougall has given us a most interesting account of the efforts which have brought about the erection of this building and we have been reminded that it is just two years ago since the foundation - stone was laid on this spot by my predecessor. Let me congratulate the Architects, Messrs Jackson and Barker, the Contractors and all concerned both on the result of their labours and on the promptitude with which they have completed the work. I have not yet been privileged to see over the building but from what I have seen and still more from what I have heard, I believe they have good reason to be proud of their work. We can see from this spot the ionic columns which grace one side of the hall, and I understand that the spirit of the Greek temple, so far as climate conditions and the strict requirements of Masonry permit, has been preserved throughout the exterior design. I look forward in a few minutes to making a closer inspection of the building, which I feel confident is a welcome addition to the City of Madras and of which one and all may well be proud.

I spoke just now of what I hoped might be the future of this hall. May I for a moment dwell on the past. In a few moments Lady Goschen will unveil, and I can assure you, with a sympathetic and understanding heart, a memorial to the Freemasons of Madras who gave their lies to their country in the Great War, and what gallant band they were, or rather I would say, what a gallant band they are for they are among those who in a short time have fulfilled a long time and are completing now the work they began here on earth. We who are assembled here to-day need no memorial to them, for they will ever live in our hearts and in our memory. But you have placed this memorial here in order that generations yet to come who may read of these passages can read their names and think with gratitude of those who kept free for us our great heritage. we do not think of them to-day with feelings of grief or mourning, but of pride and comfort, pride in their courage and heroism and those characteristics which made us love them so well, and comfort in the thought that they now rest in peace and happiness. But surely this should not be our last tribute to them. They won the War not only by their courage and heroism, but by their spirit of self-sacrifice and brotherhood. They died that we might lie and we must so live that their memory shall not die. we must strive to capture that spirit of self sacrifice, comradeship and fellowship in the sure and certain knowledge that this is the tribute to them which they would most desire'." (Loud applause).

These important preliminaries over, His Excellency and Viscountess Goschen followed by the whole audience proceeded to the door of the Hall, where Bro. Raman Menon, the builder, had the honour of being presented to His Excellency, who then examined the plan of the building. The Rt. Wor. District Grand Master handed the key to His Excellency who opened the door and declared the Freemasons' Hall to be open. A fanfare of trumpets greeted this announcement. The eager audience surged forwards into the building, and assembled upstairs in the verandahs, while His Excellency was shown various rooms in the Hall.

The War Memorial

At the head of the grand staircase is the War Memorial Tablet, dedicated to the memory of those madras Masons who fell in the Great War. Viscountess Goschen unveiled this Tablet after speaking to the audience in moving words.

Their Excellencies visited the whole building with the Rt. Wor. District Grand Master accompanied by the architects, and after this all the guests were entertained at tea in the grounds, by Wor. Bro. Nawab Salar Jung Bahadur, P.D.G.W.

With the departure of Their Excellencies amid cheers the afternoon function closed.

Dedication of The Temple

Later in the evening, at 8:30 p.m., took place the stately and solemn ceremony of the Dedication of the Temple by the Rt. Wor. District Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. A.Y.G. Campbell, C.I.E., V.D., I.C.S., assisted by the following brethren:-

W.Bro. P. M. Sivagnana Mudaliar ...as S.W.
W.Bro. V. Thirumalai Pillai ...as J.W.
Bro. Rev. H.N.Bridge ...as Chaplain
W.Bro. Col. R.F. Standage ...as D. of C.
W.Bro The Hon'ble Sir Arthur Knapp ...as I.G.

After an address by the Dedicating Officer prayer was offered, and the President of the District Board of General Purpose, Wor. Bro. Sir A. MacDougall gave a short account of the history of the Hall.

Before calling on the Chaplain for his address, the Rt. Wor. District Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. A. Y. G. Campbell made the following remarks :

"Bro. President and Brethren who have subscribed towards the cost of this building, we have all had an opportunity of examining this building this afternoon and I am sure that we all appreciate that our donations have been well and worthily applied. I congratulate you, Brethren, most cordially on the consummation of your ambition and more particularly Bro. President. I congratulate all those who have been concerned in the execution of the scheme; I know, that you have devoted yourselves wholeheartedly and unsparingly to this work and that your labours have been heavy, but it must be a source of pleasure to you that you have fully earned the gratitude of your brethren and have fully earned the gratitude of your brethren and have carried out their desires in a most admirable manner.

Bro. Architect, few Brethren are given such an opportunity as you have had in connection with the erection of this Freemasons' Hall and Bro. Barkerr, no one could have made a better use of that opportunity than you have. Our thanks and our congratulations are specially due to you and the builders and all who assisted you in design and execution of this scheme. You have, I know, devoted yourself to it fully and ungrudgingly and it is clear to us that with you it has been a labour of love. The design is admirable, the details have been most carefully worked out and executed and the workmanship is in every respect of the highest order. You have indeed succeeded in attaining what I conceive must be the highest ambition of a Freemason who is an architect, the erection of a Masonic edifice, perfect in its parts and honourable to the builder. I congratulate you."

Bro. Rev. H.N. Bridge delivered the following oration:

"To-day is a great historic landmark in the Masonic career of all Madras Freemasons.

We achieve to-day the completion of a great work - the product of much enthusiasm, strenuous effort and generous giving on the part of the Lodges and Brethren of this Presidency.

We meet to-day to witness and to take part in the stately ceremonial of the solemn dedication of this temple of Splendour and Beauty.

To-day is a day that we shall never forget.

The spectacular side of this solemn ceremony will be engraven on the tablets of our memories while life shall last.

But the memories of this day will go far deeper than the more visualizing of the stately scenes that we have witnessed for, first and foremost - it is a day of great thanksgiving and our hearts are filled with joy and gladness that the work is complete and that the Temple is built and then for us, too, it is a day of great pride and honour. Pride in this wonderful Temple in its dignity, its beauty and its perfection.

And honour - that we ourselves are permitted to be here to witness and to share in the solemn ceremony of its dedication.

And so, Brethren, I have anxiously asked myself, during many days - what should be the key-note of this brief oration to-night and it seems to me to be simply this:-

As we are have to-day to witness and to take part in the dedication of this temple - so - let it also be for us a day of the re-dedication of ourselves to the truest principles and highest ideals of our Masonic order.

What manner of men ought we to be - What should be the quality of our Freemasonry - to be worthy of this glorious Temple ?

The more splendid the building - the shrine of nor mystic rites and ceremonies, the more excellent should be the superstructure of our own individual life and character.

The world outside knows nothing of our mystic rites and ceremonies.

The world outside judges masonry by the lives of masons.

An eminent Masonic writer has said:

"I would not give much for your Freemasonry
unless it can be seen
Lamps do not talk but they shine
A lighthouse sounds no drum, it beats no gong
And yet, far over the water its friendly spark is
seen by the mariner.
So let your actions shine our your Freemasonry
Let the main sermon of your Life be illustrated
by your conduct,
And it shall not fail to be illustrious."

Brethren - assembled as we are to-day to rejoice in the completion of the building of this Temple - let us remember that we are all of us - builders - every day we live. Builders - for ourselves of our own lives and characters -- and builders for posterity for those who shall come after.

The other day in a Masonic publication I came across an "Ode to the builders of a Masonic Lodge."

It may perhaps not be out of place to quote it here.

"An old men, going a lone highway
Came at the evening, cold and grey
To a Chasm - vast and deep and wide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim
The sullen stream had not fear for him
But he turned when safe on the other
And built a bridge - to span the tide
'Old men,' said a fellow pilgrim near
'You are wasting your strength when building here
Your journey will end with the ending day
You never again will pass this way
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide
Why build you this bridge at even-tide?'"

The builder lifted his old grey head.
"Good friend, in the path I have come, "he said
"There followeth after me to-day,
A youth - whose feet must pass this way
This chasm - which has been a nought to me
To that fair - haired youth may a pitfall be
He too - must cross in the twilight dim
Good friend - I have built this Bridge for him."

And so then - to-day - with the good hand of the great Master Builder upon us - we are building our Temple - building our Lodges - and fashioning and shaping and moulding and building our own lives and characters. And we are building not only for ourselves - but also for those who shall "come after".

And Brethren - we own an enormous debt to posterity - and it is a debt which Freemasonry can help to pay. We all know that this poor old-battered world has gone through sad and tragic days of wr, and blood and tears, and even today-after years of so-called peace - nations and peoples are still at daggers - drawn and in a state of upheaval and great unrest.

Brethren - what is wrong with the world, it seems to me that the issue narrows down to first two factors.

The lack of mutual trust and goodwill - and the lack of mutual sympathy and brotherly love.

If nations and peoples would only just trust each other a little more - and exercise a little more sympathy and kindness and goodwill - then all these unhappy problems might be solved.

Brethren - Freemasonry stands for sympathy and brotherliness and goodwill.

Freemasonry - if rightly applied and truly lived will go a long way towards binding up the wounds and healing the sores of a perplexed and distracted humanity - to-day, and in the days to come.

For are we not all pledged by the sacred rites of the mystic tie to the practice of religion and morality - to truth and love.

"The crest and crowning of all good
Life's final star - is brotherhood.

So, Brethren, believing and trusting as we do - with all our hearts - in the Almighty and most loving Father of us al, humbly striving to mould and fashion our lives in accordance with the divine plan of the great Architect of the Universe, inspired by the true Masonic spirit and the highest ideals of our Order, and earnestly applying our Masonic principles - outside the Lodge as well as in, let us go forward from this Temple to-day with renewed courage and with rekindled hope and love to nobly strive for the honour of Freemasonry and the happiness of mankind.

"Question not but live and labour
Till your goal be won
Helping every feeble neighbour
Seeking help from none.

Life is mostly froth and bubble
Two things stand like stone
Kindness in another's trouble
Courage in your own." "

At the close of the ceremony the Dedicating Officer, Rt. Wor. District Grand Master, Rt. Wor. Bro. A.Y.G. Campbell said :

"Brethren, before the Lodge is closed I have one or two announcements to make.

You will, I am sure, be glad to learn that I have received a telegram of congratulation on the completion of this building from Rt. Wor. Bro. Buckley. As many of you know, he took a great interest in the scheme and did all in his power to further it as District Grand Master. We appreciate very much his kindly message to us.

This scheme owes its successful completion to many Brethren. I believe that it would be in accordance with your wishes that I should use my powers as District Grand Master to reward by advancement in Masonic rank those who have been most conspicuous in their devotion to its execution. Some indeed I cannot so reward for they have already as high rank as or higher rank than I can confer, and we can only now express our gratitude by recalling their names such as Bro. Sivagnana Mudaliar, Bro. Smythe, Bro. Padday, Bro. Vernon and Bro. Thirumalai Pillai, all former Presidents of the Board of General Purposes. But there are so many others who have rendered excellent service that it is impossible to mark our appreciation of them by the conferment of rank now, but their services will, I am sure, be not forgotten. The names of the principal donors and of the stewards responsible for collecting funds in Lodges are suitably recorded in the building.

I propose to confer the rank of Past District Senior Grand Warden on four brethren,viz. Bro. Sir Alexander MacDougall, the indefatigable President of the Board of General Purposes, Bro. Barker, the Architect, to whose skill and devotion we owe so much, Bro. The Rajah of Venkatagiri, whose generous donation greatly encouraged us at a time when we were despondent of finding the funds necessary for a suitable building and Bro. Standage, who as Director of Ceremonies has done so much to enhance the dignity of the proceedings of the District Grand Lodge and was responsible for the ceremonies connected with the laying of the foundation-stone of this building as well as for the ceremonies to-day. I will at once invest Bro. MacDougall and Bro. Barker, but I cannot actually confer other past ranks until the District Grand Lodge meeting to-morrow.

Bro. Director of Ceremonies, you will now present Bro. MacDougall and Bro. Barker for investiture."

Wor. Bros. Sir Alexander MacDougall and H.W. Barker were then conducted by the District Grand Director or Ceremonies to the Dedicating Officer, who invested them with the collar and jewel of a Past District Senior Grand Warden.