Our Regional Grand Master
Know Your Regional Grand Master
R.W. BRO. PUNEET SOHAL, R.W., THE RGM
On Saturday, 15th February, 2025, R.W. Bro Puneet Sohal assumed the office of R.W. the Regional Grand Master of the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India when he was installed by M.W. Bro. G. K. Selvarajan, OSM, M.W. the Grand Master in due form. Subsequently he was installed as M.E. the Grand Supdt. of the Regional Grand Chapter and as R.W. the Regional Grand Mark Master of the Regional Grand Mark Lodge on Sunday, 16th February, 2025.
R.W. Bro Puneet Sohal, born on 14th August 1960 in New Delhi, saw the light of Freemasonry in September 1986 in Lodge East & West No. 127 and occupied the Eastern chair in the year 1994. He is also Joining member of Lodges Raisina No. 97 (New Delhi), Dronacharya No. 285 (Gurugram) and Lodge Cherian No. 183 (Bhopal).
R.W. Bro. Puneet Sohal was the worshipful master of Lodge Raisina in 2019, the year in which the Lodge celebrated its centenary. Under his chairmanship the Lodge undertook many charitable and masonic programmes to celebrate the completion of 100 years. The rich history of the Lodge was compiled by him and published in the form of a Coffee Table Book.
In year 1999, the then Regional Grand Master and assigned them the task of revitalizing Lodge Dronacharya. Bro Puneet Sohal was part of the team. Once a very vibrant Lodge, it was on the verge of losing its Charter from the Grand Lodge of India. Bro. Puneet Sohal took up the Eastern chair on two occasions (1999 and 2001) and, along with, the other three brethren, he was able to bring back the Lodge to vibrancy. At present the Lodge is one of the premium Lodges not only in the Delhi NCR but in the Region too.
He is an Architect (specialising in Institutional buildings and Restoration of heritage buildings and their adaptive reuse) and a Government Approved Valuer. A B.Arch. Graduate, he is registered with Council of Architecture, a Fellow member of the Indian Institute of Architects and Institute of Valuers and a founder Director in Urban Systems India Pvt Ltd., a multi-disciplinary consultancy firm.
He is married to Mrs Kiran Sohal, an architect. She, being from a family of Freemasons, was instrumental in introducing him to Masonry. They have two daughters – the elder one, Dr. Divyata Sohal is married and settled in England. The younger one, Urvashi is a Craft & Interior designer and working in Delhi.
He and his wife have pledged to donate their body organs after their death and even their bodies for medical research. They are registered as donors with Dadhichi Dehdaan Samiti, a registered Society.
He was the active Dy. Grand Master in the Grand Lodge of India in 2024. He is a member of all higher Degrees under GLI. He holds the highest ranks of Dy GM, 2nd Grand Principal and Dy GMM in the three Orders.
R.W Bro Puneet Sohal has been a GDOC for two years – 2013 and 2014. He is amongst few GDOC’s who have directed all the ceremonies that are officiated by a Grand Master, including the installation of the new Grand Master. He has been a member of the Grand Board of General Purpose for 9 years.
Grand Masters in the past have reposed confidence in him by appointing him Chairmen of the Temple & Premises Committee on two occasions and the Procedure and Protocol Committee for three terms.
As the Chairman of the Temple & Premises Committee he was instrumental in preparing the guidelines for availing financial assistance for buildings of Masonic Temples. Under his chairmanship the Grand Lodge prepared the data bank of the properties owned by various Masonic bodies in the country that would help in working out various policies for the development of Masonic properties. He has been providing architectural consultancy on pro-Bono basis for the development of various masonic buildings in the Northern Region including Masonic Public School, Vasant Kunj and Masonic Fraternity complex on Janpath, New Delhi. The interiors of the main temple in Janpath were done by him, his daughter and his wife.
The Procedure and Protocol Committee, under his chairmanship the Grand Lodge of India, published the revised Blue Book on Procedures and Protocols in the Craft Degree. He has authored many other publications for the Grand Lodge. Recently he finished working on the new revised edition of the Book of Ceremonials.
R.W. Bro. Puneet Sohal was the Editor of the Coffee Table Book – SHASHTHI, brought out by the Grand Lodge of India to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee in year 2021. He has been the Chief Editor of the mouthpiece magazine of the Grand Lodge of India – The Square & Compasses for three years from 2022. He, along with the editorial team, was instrumental in revival of the magazine which was lying dormant for many years. The magazine, in its new Avatar, became a very popular publication of Grand Lodge of India.
Along with RW Bro Sanjiv Gandhi, RW Bro K.S. Rekhi and some other sport lovers, he started holding cricket tournaments under the banner of Masonic Sports League. R.W. Bro. Puneet Sohal was the Chairman of MSL (Masonic Sports League) for 7 years which has been organizing limited over cricket tournaments, a golf tournament and TT tournament.