The Gymkhana Club
The Gymkhana Club is one of the prestigious clubs of Madras city. It is a famous landmark of the city. It is located on Anna Salai in the Island Grounds locality. It bears door number 1 of Anna Salai.
Today, the campus is spread across 7 acres of land. But, initially, it just had a tent in the open ground. It all changed after the Raja of Venkatagiri (Muthukrishna Yachendra) donated land and the present building to the Club in 1886 CE. The Club grew and added more and more games/sports with generous donations from the South Indian Zamindars (who called themselves the Rajas).
Today, the Club has around 4000 members. The elegant British period lime-mortar-brick building stands in the middle. The building has an imposing porch, broader verandahs, beautiful wooden staircases, and a grand lounge. The different designs of chandeliers are hanging down. The hall displays the portraits/paintings of the Raja of Venkatagiri and other prominent figures. The first floor has the dining hall, and the balcony overlooks the green lawns and the swimming pool. This swimming pool is one of the city's first.
The Club offers many facilities, including a bar, catering, children's play area, guest house and party hall. The sports facilities in the Club include cricket, billiards, board games, tennis, swimming, table tennis and golf. The library in the Club has a massive collection of books.
Happy travelling.
P.S. The historical details, names and dates were taken from the articles written by the historian Sriram V and the official website of the Club.
The Club was started in April 1884 CE. Brig. General Johnson and Brig. General Alexander Arbuthnot penned the proposal to form this Club on the land that belonged to the army. Johnson named the Club Gymkhana, and he formulated the Club's rules and objectives.
The membership was initially restricted to British executives, Garrison members, and a few selected high-profile Indians.
Today, the campus is spread across 7 acres of land. But, initially, it just had a tent in the open ground. It all changed after the Raja of Venkatagiri (Muthukrishna Yachendra) donated land and the present building to the Club in 1886 CE. The Club grew and added more and more games/sports with generous donations from the South Indian Zamindars (who called themselves the Rajas).
The Club brought football first to the city. The first tournament was held in 1884 CE, the very first year of the Club itself. The Club also brought rugby to the city in 1914 C.E. The Club has one of the oldest golf courses in Asia.
The first president of the Club was Lt. General C.B. Johnson. One of the prominent figures who served as the President of the Club was Sir George Montgomerie John Moore. The famous Moore Market (lost in the fire) was named after him.
Today, the Club has around 4000 members. The elegant British period lime-mortar-brick building stands in the middle. The building has an imposing porch, broader verandahs, beautiful wooden staircases, and a grand lounge. The different designs of chandeliers are hanging down. The hall displays the portraits/paintings of the Raja of Venkatagiri and other prominent figures. The first floor has the dining hall, and the balcony overlooks the green lawns and the swimming pool. This swimming pool is one of the city's first.The Club offers many facilities, including a bar, catering, children's play area, guest house and party hall. The sports facilities in the Club include cricket, billiards, board games, tennis, swimming, table tennis and golf. The library in the Club has a massive collection of books.
Happy travelling.
P.S. The historical details, names and dates were taken from the articles written by the historian Sriram V and the official website of the Club.
.JPG)
Comments
Post a Comment