History of the Order in India
The Masonic Order of Athelstan was brought to India in 2006 with the good offices of R W Bro Stephen John Hindes, who was appointed and invested as the Primus Assistant Grand Master in charge of India. Courts were consecrated in Western India, Northern India and Southern India in quick succession. These Courts were constituted into four Provinces, namely, Western India, Northern India, Kerala and Madras.
Provincial Grand Court of Northern India
The first Court in Northern India —- Jeevan Court No.14 was consecrated by the assistance and hard work of (Late) R W Bro Lt 4, Bawa Gurvachan Singh and R W Bro Viswanathan Nagarajan, who were appointed and invested as Primus Provincial Grand Master and Primus Provincial Grand Secretary, respectively of the Provincial Grand Court of Northern India. As there was just one Court in the Province, nothing more was visible at that time. The Province of Northern India used to have its Annual Meeting with that of the Regular Meeting of Jeevan Court. In 2009, when (Late) R W Bro Lt Col Bawa Gurvachan Singh was Called to the Grand Court Above, dark shadows descended on the Province. Despite this Jeevan Court continued to have its regular meetings and many Brethren were instructed.
In 2012, with the efforts of the R W Bro Viswanathan Nagarajan, a new platform was created to promote the Order in the Province of Northern India. M W Grand Master of the Masonic Order of Athelstan of England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas, M W Bro Paul Weldon Johnson, PGHCh, GCSM appointed R W Bro Viswanathan Nagarajan as Provincial Grand Master of Northern India and gave him a free hand to spread the Order and increase its presence.
At an Emergent Meeting held at New Delhi on Tuesday 21st February 2012, R W Bro Ghanshyam Maganbhai Patel, GCh, GCSM, Assistant Grand Master in charge India installed R W Viswanathan Nagarajan as the Provincial Grand Master. On the same day, the accolade of Knight of the Scarlet Mantle (KSM) was conferred on R W Bro Viswanathan Nagarajan. At the same meeting, the First Annual Communication of the Provincial Grand Court of North India was held.
Bro Justice Devinder Gupta, Bro Mahesh K Malik and Bro Surinder Singh Sambi from New Delhi and Bro Harcharan Singh Ranauta, from Chandigarh were interested in starting new courts with a requisite number of interested and duly qualified candidates. Hence 4 new additional Courts were consecrated in 2013. The details of the Courts are as below:
| Court Name & No. |
Location |
Date of Consecration |
| Court of Calicut No.37 | Kozhikode | 30 Apr 2008 |
| Chennai No.46 | Chennai | 27 Aug 2008 |
| Millenium No.47 | Chennai | 27 Aug 2008 |
| Waltair No.86 | Vizhakapatnam | 22 Sep 2012 |
| Court of Kakatiya No.109 | Hyderabad | 09 Mar 2015 |
The total number of Courts in the Province is 6 with membership strength of 138.
The Provincial Grand Court of Western India was consecrated at Mumbai in 2006. There were three Courts functioning under it — two in Mumbai and one in Nagpur. Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, these Courts ceased functioning. Consequently, the Province was dissolved in 2018 and the Courts under its jurisdiction were transferred into the Province of Southern India.
The details of these Courts are as below:
| Court Name & No. |
Location |
Date of Consecration |
| Mumbai No.6 | Mumbai | 12 Sep 2006 |
| Peace and Amity No.36 | Mumbai | 24 Oct 2008 |
| Rudyard Kipling No.85 | Nagpur | 30 Jun 2012 |
Origin of the Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India
In April 2018, M.W.Bro. Paul W. Johnston, PGHCh, GCSM, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Masonic Order of Athelstan of England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas announced his intention to constitute a Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India and to install R.W.Bro. Bharat Venkat Epur KCSM, Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Court of Southern India as the Primus Grand Master of the Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India.
MW Bro Bharat Venkat Epur, PGHCh, GCSMwas elected, obligated, invested and installed as the Primus Grand Master of the newly constituted Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India at Leicester, U.K. on 27th October 2018 by M W Bro Paul Weldon Johnston, PGHCh, GCSM, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan of England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas at the Annual Assembly of the Grand Court. Thereafter, the two Grand Masters signed a Concordat on behalf of the their respective Grand Courts.
The Annual Meeting of the Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India was held at 9.00 A.M. on Friday, 7th December 2018 at Hotel Royalton, Hyderabad.
The Order of the Scarlet Mantle
The Order of the Scarlet Mantle is appendant to the Masonic Order of Athelstan and has its own Statutes. It was created as a separate reward-based Order for meritorious service by members of the Order of Athelstan.
The Order derives its title in commemoration of the 'knighting’ of Athelstan by King Alfred the Great around the year 898 A.D. (reported by subsequent historians as 'the first recorded making of a Knight in England’). It is stated that Athelstan was invested with a ‘Scarlet Mantle and a Sword with a golden hilt bedecked with jewels’. Members hold one of three progressive grades: Knight of the Scarlet Mantle (KSM), Knight Commander of the Scarlet Mantle (KCSM) or Knight Grand Cross of the Scarlet Mantle (GCSM), and naturally can only use the associated honorifics in the context of the Masonic Order of Athelstan.
The Order is administered by a Grand High Chancellor following his appointment by the Most Worshipful Grand Master. A small number of Grand Chancellors are also appointed to assist the Grand High Chancellor. Accolades normally take place on an annual basis immediately prior to the annual meeting of the Grand Court.
The right to administer the Order of the Scarlet Mantle in India has been conferred to the Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India by M W Bro Paul Weldon Johnston, PGHCh, GCSM, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan of England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas, and, the Grand High Chancellor of the Order in England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas, R W Bro Dr Christopher W G Ansell, PAGM, CofM, GCSM. The Primus Grand High Chancellor for India is M W Bro Bharat Venkat Epur, GHCh, GCSM, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Masonic Order of Athelstan in India.
