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History
Freemason's Hall stands as an elegant architectural monument in the
Egmore region of Chennai. Freemasonry is the largest fraternal order
that exists in the world. The society (free masons) is believed to
have its origins in the European continent, somewhat during the 17th
century A.D. The fraternity is responsible for the establishment of
Masonic homes, schools, orphanages and providing aids in other forms
to its constituent members. Towards the end of the 20th century the
nature of the society was essentially an educational one and aimed
to teach the moral philosophy of life.
Features
The Lodges or established houses of free masons were built in India
during the time of the East India Company. Most of these houses used
to be military lodges and protected by the foreign power. The
construction of Free Masons Hall at Chennai commenced in the year
1923. The double storeyed hall makes up the headquarters of the
Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India. The structure has been given
a symmetrical shape and composes of four circular chambers. The
interiors are beautifully adorned with motifs, Italian tiles and
marbles. The main section comprises of a large room called Lodge
Room. This room has a capacity of accommodating 200 people, at a
time. The main hall (Lodge Room) also contains the portraits of the
past masters of the house. There is one more small room with the
capacity of about 60 persons. The winding staircase from the ground
floor leads to the dining room in the first floor. The dining room
is quite spacious and can provide for 150 diners at a time.
Address
Freemason's Hall, 87, Ethiraj Salai, Egmore, Chennai.
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