Lodge Heather No.928, Munnar

My association with Munnar turned to 3 decade now. I first visited Munnar in 1987 when I was a student. The highlights of Munnar in that time are drizzling, (noolmazha) mist and teagardens. I used to walk through the old and broken road aside the catchment of Head Works Dam.  It is one of the loneliest pathways in Munnar, through which one can walk and enjoy its nature. The thick reed bed of the catchment is home for many species of waders and warblers. Like on nature, my interests browsed through the old monuments of Munnar. The hanging bridge named after Princess Margret, the Churchill Bridge, CSI church and its old cemetery, 

Head Works Dam - part of first hydroelectric project in Kerala

A green trail for nature walk aside river

  High range club etc bears the relics of colonial period. There was an old broken hanging bridge across the river near Munnar bears the memory of few school children who drawn in a heavy monsoon. Among those monuments, an abandoned regular building stands on the riverside among lantana and alpinia bushes attracted me. 

CSI Church 1910

Margret Bridge , Old Munnar

There is an old gate and a name board in front of the building which read ‘Lodge Heather No.928’. What is it? I asked many times. Someone said it is called ‘Thalavetti Kovil’, means a church where people beheaded. They said that every Christmas day people from abroad visit this church to worship devil. One person told me that there lived ‘Dorais’(British Managers) who worshiped Devil. During the midnight of 24^th December they themselves cut their head and offered to the Devil. The Devil gave them back the heads. That is why it is called ‘Thalavetti kovil’. The other version of its name derived from a story that early Devil worshipers of colonial period offered human sacrifice in this church. Though I could not believe in any of these stories, this old building standing alone inside dark bushes became a growing curiosity. After many years I read about the Free Masons of Munnar from a chapter of a book written by Sulochana Nalappad. It was a clue to open the secret of ‘Thalavettikovil’.

One can read about Free Mason Movement in Europe in 14^th century. But as per church history of free masons, the movement was started from Biblical period. As per historic analysis of symbols and languages using in Masonic Fraternity, it is believed that the movement originated in middle ages from the guild of stone masons who built large monuments in Europe.

Free Mason emblem of Heather Lodge

Free Mason is a fraternity organization. The ‘fraternity organizations’ denote organizations formed in Europe during Middle Ages by Christian organizations for a common purpose. As a fraternity organization it has also some declared common purposes which are secret. The members are craftsmen or skilled people in a particular profession. During its constitution there were only stone masons. Now days there are even business managers, politicians, artists etc. They call each other ‘Bro.’ Each member is called ‘mason’ who should profess the ‘Deity’. No women are allowed during rituals. No politics or talks other than fraternity are allowed.

A lodge is a local unit of free masonry. The lodges are basic units. They are supervised and controlled by ‘Grand Lodge’.

The History of Free Mason in Kerala

The first ‘free mason lodge ‘in Kerala is established in 1806 in Kollam named ‘Travancore Union’. In 1813 , “Lodge of Fortitude and Perseverance” started in Kannur. Later two more lodges were started in Kannur “Corinthian Lodge” and Lodge Western Star.  In 1822 one more lodge started in Kollam named ‘Hibernia and Union’. Between 1830 -41, five more lodges came into being in Kozhikode, Thiruvanadapuram, Cochin and Munnar. At present there are 277 free mason lodges in India.

Lodge Heather No.928

The Mason Lodge in Munnar was established in 1902, 8 years before the CSI church. The Lodge Heather had independent existence than the other lodges in Kerala. Lodge Heather was consecrated by the Scottish and ruled under Scottish constitution. Whereas other lodges of Kerala were under British Free Mason constitution.

There are many speculations about rituals and meetings of free masons. Nobody, other than the masons, knows who their ‘Deity’ is. Free Masonry was attacked by Church and religious organizations in the name of occult and Devil worship.

I am still ignorant about their practice, not interested at all. But this monument and its history behind , should preserve for the interest of Heritage. There are hundreds of prehistoric and historic monuments scattered over Munnar hills including dolmen, rock alignments, rock engravings and many more. The fort which built by Duke of Wellington is still in mystery. It is interesting to note that the free mason lodge was used for worship before CSI church. It was the Scottish men worked in Munnar plantations built this on the bank of Muthirapuza amidst the heather land. 

MUNNAR HISTORY TRAIL