Regional Grand Masters – Grand Lodge of India

RW BRO V.G.MADHUSUDAN

R.W. Bro Vinjamur Govindaraj Madhusudan, hailing from Sriviliputhur, Tamil Nadu, was born as the eldest son of W. Bro. V. Ranganath, who headed the operations for Cadbury India Limited in South India, and Mrs. V. Sitalakshmi, on the 3rd of December, 1964.

He was initiated as a Lewis by his father on 20th May, 1983 in Lodge Om Vighneswara No. 218. He is a third generation Mason.
In the year 1994, he was installed as the Worshipful Master of Lodge Om Vighneswara No. 218 and went on to win the Best Worshipful Master’s Trophy in the Southern Region. His Lodge was adjudged the 2nd best Lodge in the region in the same year.
In the year 1999, he was installed in Mark Lodge Om Vighneswara No. 63. He went on to win the Best Worshipful Master’s Trophy in the Southern Region. Mark Lodge Om Vighneswara was adjudged the best Mark Lodge in the Region.
In the same year, he was installed as MEZ in Chapter Om Vighneswara No. 82. Chapter Om Vighneswara was adjudged the 2nd best Chapter in the Region.
In the year 2006, he was installed as WCN in RAM Lodge Om Vighneswara No. 63. The Lodge was adjudged the best RAM Lodge in the Southern Region.

He has held several important positions in the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India as well as the Grand Lodge of India. He has officiated as the R G D of C for four Regional Grand Masters of Southern India, and as Grand D of C for four Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of India. He served as Assistant Regional Grand Master for the Chennai area in the year 2007.

In the year 2000, he was elected to the Regional Board of General Purposes with the maximum number of votes polled. In the year 2014, he was elected to the Grand Board of General Purposes from the Southern Region with a record margin.

He has served as Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of India and has several impressive orations to his credit.

He is a businessman and an agriculturalist. After studying engineering and management from the Bangalore and Annamalai Universities respectively, he joined the family business in retail management logistics and has since diversified into finance and real estate.

He is happily married to Aruna, a research scholar in English. They are blessed with two daughters.

RW BRO AJIT KUMAR SHAHA

RW Bro Ajit Kumar Shaha was Installed as the Regional Grand Master of the Regional Grand Lodge of Eastern India in February 2020. His masonic journey began in April 1976 when he was initiated in Lodge Shyamkinkor No.183 on 3rd April 1976. He became Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1988.

Born on 5th June 1947, RW Bro Ajit Kumar Shaha is a recipient of the 40-years Long Term Service Jewel of Grand Lodge of India.
He is a founder and founder Master of Lodge Sukumar De Past Masters No.402 and is an honorary member of Lodge Ubique No.54.
He was Exalted in RA Chapter New Union No.8 in July 2003 and became the Principal Z in the same Chapter. He is a founder member and founder Principal Z of RA Chapter Bengal No.114 and founder member of RA Chapter Calcutta No.113.
He was Advanced in Mark Lodge Shyam & Narendra No.24 in 1988 and was a founder member and founder Master of Mark Lodge Bengal No.113.
RW Bro Ajit Kumar Shaha was Elevated in RAM Lodge Shyam and Narendra No.24 in 1988 and is a founder member and founder WCN of RAM Lodge Bengal No.113

A well-known lecturer on Management Training programmes, some of his popular programmes in his professional career have been “How to Manage the Difficult Employee”, “Creating Managerial Excellence” and “Managing your people”. He conducts Management Workshops and Seminars at public and private sector organisations

RW BRO DR YAGNESH S THAKAR

The journey began on 30th May 1998 when R. W. Bro. Dr. Yagnesh Thakar was initiated as Entered Apprentice Freemason in Lodge Gondwana no. 226.

Then climbing up the ladder step by step, he became the Worshipful Master of Lodge Gondwana no. 226 in the year 2002.
Apart from Lodge Gondwana no. 226, R. W. Bro. Dr. Yagnesh Thakar is member of Nagpur Past Masters Lodge no. 342 and Founder Master of Lodge Vidarbha no. 470. He is the founder worshipful Master of Lodge Vidarbha no. 470.
During his mastership, the Lodge too received the award of Best Lodge of the Region and also qualified for Grand Master’s Seven Star program. He has received many awards. Some of them include Best Secretary Award of the Region and Yograj Gurwara Trophy for the best Mason of the Region thrice. He is also the recipient of Regional Grand Master’s silver salver for contribution to Freemasonry.
Dr. Yagnesh Thakar was the organizing secretary of Grand Festival 2018 and also in 2020 at Nagpur. He was also organizing chairman of ARGM Training Seminar of Grand Lodge of India in Jan 2020.
Dr. Thakar has conducted and participated as faculty in many training seminars for masons at local, regional as well as National level.
He has held many active ranks in the RGLWI. He was RGDOC for three years, ARGM for three years, Dy RGM and also Pres RB of GP.
He has been installed as the Regional Grand Master of Regional Grand Lodge of Western India on 27th Feb 2021 for the tenure of 2021-23. Likewise He is also installed as Grand Superintendent of Western India in Supreme Grand Chapter of India and Regional Grand Master of Regional Grand Mark Lodge of Western India.

In Grand Lodge of India Dr. Thakar holds the rank of P.A. G. M. He was also the elected member of Grand Board of General Purposes for four years.

He has always been very active in Grand Board of General Purposes and Regional Board of General Purposes as and when he was nominated or elected.

R. W. Bro. Dr. Yagnesh Thakar is the member of all Royal Arch Chapters, Mark Lodges and RAM lodges of Nagpur.

R. W. Bro. Dr. Yagnesh Thakar has always believed that ‘Service to humanity is the best work of life’ and that he does it very silently. He has done innumerable service projects right from the time he was just the master mason.

Dr. Yagnesh Thakar is Consultant Medical Microbiologist and owns fully automated Microbiology Laboratory, Vishakha Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Nagpur and also co-owner of Nagpur Molecular Disgnostic & Research Laboratory, Nagpur.

He is also a visiting consultant at Care Hospital, Nagpur.

Dr. Yagnesh Thakar is a former Professor in Dept. of Microbiology, Peoples College of Maedical Sciences, Bhopal and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur. He has worked as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor of Microbiology at Government Medical College, Nagpur.

He has done his M.B.B.S. & M.D. in Microbiology, from Government Medical College, Nagpur.

He has authored two books on Medical Microbiology and has co-authored two manuals on Immunology.

He is the Past President of Maharashtra State of Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists and also Vidarbha Association of Medical Microbiologists. He is life member of Indian Medical Association, Academy of Medical Sciences and has many other academic affiliations. He is also past President of Jaycees and Lions Club where he has received many awards.

RW BRO A.K.SHARMA

R.W.Bro.A.K.Sharma was born on 7th January, 1949 at Saharanpur. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession and also managing a Senior Secondary School in New Delhi. He is a financial wizard in various fields and he was the financial advisor and director in many companies. In recognition of his vast experience in the financial sector, the Government of India appointed him as Director of Union Bank of India for three years .

R.W.Bro.A.K.Sharma, saw the light of Freemasonry on 10th November, 1979 in Lodge Industry No.23. From the day he became the Master Mason he became very Active in Masonry. He occupied the Eastern Chair in his mother Lodge Industry No.23 in 1992. He is also member of many Lodges and occupied Eastern Chair in other Lodges as well.

He held many prestigious positions in Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India as well as the Grand Lodge of India during his journey in Freemasonry. He held the office of Active Assistant Regional Grand Master in the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India from 2002 to 2004. He has been the Deputy Regional Grand Master of Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India in the year 2005.
His contribution to the various activities of the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India and the Grand Lodge of India is immense and cannot be quantified. He was the president of Regional Grand Board of General Purposes. He was elected to the Board of General Purposes of Grand Lodge of India twice. He was the Active Assistant Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India in the year 2014 and also the Grand Treasurer of Grand Lodge of India from 2015 to 2017. He holds the Rank of Past Deputy Regional Grand Master in the Grand Lodge of India.

He was exalted in to Royal Arch Masonry in R.A.Chapter Progress No.10 on 22.12.1994. He was the Principal Z in the year 2000 in R.A.Chapter Progress No.10. He has held various Ranks in the Regional Grand Chapter of Northern India as well as in the Supreme Grand Chapter of India. He was the Second Regional Grand Principal in Regional Grand Chapter of Northern India in the year 2005. He holds the past Rank of Second Grand Principal in the Supreme Grand Chapter of India and 2nd Principal in the Regional Grand Chapter of Northern India.

He has been active in Mark as well as Royal Ark Mariners Degrees. He was advanced in Mark degree on 22nd August, 1992 and was the W.M.M. of the Mark Lodge Sunder Heera No.30 in the year 2000. He was elevated in R.A.M. Lodge Mount Ararat No.5 on 2nd December,1994 and has been W.C.’N’ of R.A.M.Lodge Star of Delhi No.103 in 2004. He was the active Deputy Regional Grand Mark Master of the Regional Grand Mark Lodge of Northern India in the year 2006. He holds the Past Rank of Past Deputy Grand Mark Master in the Grand Mark Lodge of India and also holds the Past Rank of Senior R.A.M. Grand Officer.

He held the office of the Secretary of the Masonic Fraternity of New Delhi twice and he continues to be one of the most successful Secretaries of the Masonic Fraternity which is responsible for the maintenance and up keeping of the large Masonic Property at Janpath, New Delhi, which is also the Head Quarters of the Grand Lodge of India and the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India.

R.W.Bro.A.K.Sharma became the President of the prestigious Fraternity club, Janpath, New Delhi in 1996 and continued as president for many terms till September 2011. During his tenure, The Fraternity Club has made tremendous progress and achieved all India Status and became well known club for its food and fellowship for Masons and their families.

His charitable disposition is immense. He contributed to almost all charitable activities undertaken by the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India. He contributed regularly for the activities of The General Williams Masonic Polyclinic, New Delhi, Amrit Masonic Spastic Society, Noida and Northern India Masonic Charitable Society, which runs the Masonic Public School at Vasant Kunj. He is Governor of all the three Charitable Societies.

R.W.Bro.A.K.Sharma is a dedicated , friendly and a humble person and a committed and devoted Freemason with exemplary Character. He motivates his fellowmen and brethren to practice and demonstrate the distinguishing charismatic of Freemasonry . His son W.Bro.Raghav Sharma is also a very active Freemason.

Because of the zeal and enthusiasm of R.W.Bro.A.K.Sharma, coupled with his vast administrative experience, charismatic personality and his contribution in no small measures to the development and advancement of Freemasonry, particularly in the Northern Region. M.W.Bro.Rajeev Ramkrishna Khandelwal, OSM, M.W.The Grand Master appointed him as the next Regional Grand Master, Regional Grand Mark Master and The Grand Superintendent of the Regional Lodge/ Mark and Chapter of Northern India on 24th November, 2018 at the Annual Grand Festival at Nagpur.

The Brethren of Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India are proud of having him as the Regional Grand Master and join him untidily in his laudable endeavors to make the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India as one of the most vibrant regions of the Grand Lodge of India.