Around 1917, George Sydney Arundale came from England at the invitation of Annie Besant to help with the educational programmes and other activities. His aunt Francesca, who had brought him up from an early age after his mother’s death, was close to the Theosophical Society.

At a tea party hosted by his mother at her residence, she invited Rukmini Devi, a young Brahmin girl. Though George Arundale was much senior in age to young Rukmini Devi, both were drawn to each other. And in 1920, when Rukmini Devi was only sixteen, they got married. Not surprisingly, this created a storm in conservative Chennai. It was an unheard of thing.

While residing in Europe, Arundale was consecrated to the Episcopate of the Liberal Catholic Church on 4 Jul 1925, in Huizen [Naarden], the Netherlands by James Ingall WEDGWOOD, Julian Adriaan MAZEL, Frank Waters PIGOTT as Regionary Bishop for India in 1926.

George S. Arundale, later became international president of the society after Mrs Besant, joined the College as a professor of history and then later became its principal. He also invited Maria Montessori to the Besant Theosophical High School to start Montessori courses.