The Bombay Gymkhana Club British Era – 4 PCs 1900s
Four postcards of the Gymkhana Club in Bombay (Mumbai) during the British era. One of them is the beautifully maintained Ladies Gymkhana Club. During the British era, the idea of the club made a special appeal to the large number of men who were separated from their families for extended periods. To these, clubs offered some consolation for the pains of exile and loneliness.
India is home to some of the most prestigious clubs, club culture being, undoubtedly, a legacy of the British Raj. One of them was and probably still is the Bombay Gymkhana. Essentially a cricket club, it had a fascinating history just like its city of birth. Located at a prime site known as the Azad Maidan in South Bombay.
Bombay maidans were popular venues for a variety of sports, especially cricket. In 1872, a decision was taken to amalgamate the activities of several sporting clubs into one association. The establishment of the club was largely due to the steadfast efforts of Captain Earnest Marryat and Lt. Carmichael Young. This historic meeting of members of the various clubs to formally establish the Bombay Gymkhana was held in 1875.
Permission was obtained to erect on the Parade Ground, now Azad Maidan, close to the site where the cricket club tent was formally pitched. A pavilion of such type was for easy and speedy removal. A Swiss Chalet-style clubhouse and pavilion were designed by John Adams. It was completed at the southern end of the Maidan near the apex of the triangular piece of open ground. Which is on the Esplanade near the junction of Waudby Road with Esplanade (Mahatma Gandhi) road.
Did you know – Sir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney voluntarily contributed Rs 1,000 for the club’s furnishing. Although he could never enter the clubhouse, since membership was then open to Europeans only.
Past posts – Raja Ravi Varma Commemorative Stamp Folder., British Era Anglo-Indian Community In India, Old Photo 1957., Indian Parliament House Central Hall Delhi, 1925 Print., Boat Mail Train Over New Pamban Bridge, 1914 Photo.
