Masonic mantle

"A very coveted and significant honor in the Masonic movement,” was conferred on Dorab (Dolly) Cowasji Bajan, writes Phiroze Bharda of Bangalore referring to "the crowning moment in (Bajan’s) life as Mason with his appointment as district grand master of Bombay and Northern India by the Duke of Kent, the grand master of the United Grand Lodge of England. Lodges in Maha­rashtra, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Chhatis­garh, Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh would lie within his jurisdiction.

Bajan: distinctive honor

A fourth generation Mason, 67-year-old Bajan was initiated in the Alexandra Lodge in Jabalpur when he was 23 and has over the years with his "commitment and hard work” risen to occupy different posts in the Masonic hierarchy. "The Masonic movement in the country was given its impetus in the earlier years by the British, the Anglo Indian community and the Parsis. Despite its working being shrouded in mystery the movement per se encompasses many noble virtues clearly reflecting its primary objective of building core character in its members and concern for the welfare of our brothers and sisters, more particularly those who face hardship or are in distress,” explains Bharda.

President of the Jabalpur Parsi Anjuman, Bajan has been active in community life. Former chairman of the standing committee of the Katni (MP) Municipal Corporation, he was also president of the Rotary Club of Katni.