A Brotherhood of Masons Honor a Sikh Brother who Served So Willingly
Raj Bhalla with his family and fellow Masons. In backrow, from left are District Deputy Grand Master Albert Davis, Worshipful Master Cody Cockroft, wife Kanwal Bhalla, daughter-in-law Dr. Jyotish Bhalla, son Dr. Gurpreet Bhalla, and son Dr. Narinder Bhalla. In front on either side of his portrait are, from left, granddaughter Sonya Bhalla and grandson Ravi Bhalla.
By Jawahar Malhotra
RICHMOND: There is a streak of generosity and kindliness that has percolated inside Raj Bhalla long before he first understood as a young boy where it would lead him. He found examples of giving to causes and helping others in the work of his father who was a Freemason and a Past Grand Standard Bearer and Past Junior Regional Grand Warden in the Grand Lodge of India in New Delhi. He and his younger brothers G.P. S. Bhalla and Paul were inspired by him. Firmly entrenched in the principles of Freemasonry, by June 1964, Rajinder Pal Singh Bhalla, then 33, had become a Master Mason at the Northern Star Lodge No. 21 in Ferozepur Cantonment, Punjab, just miles from the Indo-Pak border.
Bhalla continued his association after he came to America, joining the Paumanok-Port Washington No. 855 Lodge from 1976 till 1993, serving as its Worshipful Master in 1982 and after moving to Sugar Land in 1995, he joined the Morton Masonic Lodge No. 72 in Richmond.
Dr. Raj Bhalla receiving his dedication award from the Worshipful Master Cody Cockroft
Now a very active 86 years-old, Bhalla has been a Free Mason for over 50 years and in April 2015 his Lodge presented him with the coveted Golden Trovel Award, the highest honor a Texas lodge can bestow on one of its members, in recognition of his devoted and outstanding service to Masonic principles.
The history of fraternity of Freemasonry is filled with many worthy deeds since the order was first established long ago in 1717 in London, England. Personal growth and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy have been the guiding lights of the stonemason guilds that have survived through the ensuing centuries. Stonemason guilds have transcended national boundaries and religious affiliations and they seek to better the lives of those around the local Lodges where the members gather for regular meetings. Some very famous Americans were Masons, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere and President Teddy Roosevelt.
The proclamation renaming Morton Masonic Hall to Rajinder Bhalla Hall.
Just this past June, Bhalla was summoned to his Lodge on some pretense and was surprised with a proclamation of exemplary service. The Worshipful Master gave a speech and presented Bhalla with a shadow box with a kirpan, an antique Masonic plaque, and a suitably engraved dedication which reads: “To our Beloved Brother Rajinder Pal Singh Bhalla. Your dedication to the Craft, your kind heart and your generous spirit will live forever in our hearts.” The Brothers passed a proclamation to name the Masonic Lodge Hall, where regular meetings are held, as “Rajinder Bhalla Hall”
Ten days ago, on Sunday, October 8, in a formal ceremony, members of the Lodge got together to present the formal proclamation, read by the Worshipful Master Cody Cockroft, which recognized his “extraordinary generosity towards the Lodge, leading efforts to provide access to the second floor and ensuring the restoration of the roof.” To honor his tremendous act of kindness, for which Bhalla had donated $65,000, the lodgeroom was formally renamed, with a wooden plaque affixed at the entrance. The new single-person elevator for handicapped access retracts into the ceiling until it is needed, and so keeps the space clear. Lodge members also made many other improvements to their building in the heart of downtown Richmond.
Bhalla’s framed portrait and dedication will be placed in a corner of the hall adjacent a portrait of George Washington.
After the presentation, Bhalla demonstrated his sharp memory and wit in going around the full aisles along the sides of the hall and introducing each of the about 60 guests not only by name but also by occupation and in some cases community affiliation. A copy of the Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s holiest text (which Bhalla had brought) was laid out next to the Bible on the altar in the middle of the room. And there, in front of the Eastward Lodge Chairs was a portrait of Raj Bhalla with small flags of the US and India draped to each side.
Joining in on the celebration were Bhalla’s wife Kanwal and their sons and families from the East Coast: older son Gurpreet and his son Ravi, Gurpreet’s wife Jyotish and younger son Narinder with his daughter Sonya. Later after the ceremony, Bhalla hosted a catered lunch (from Bombay Brasserie) for all the guests and Mason members at the downstairs reception of the Lodge.