BENGALURU: “One of the oldest clubs in Bengaluru, Century Club is definitely one of the city’s landmarks,” says Arun Prasad, a city-based independent historian, and rightly so.Strategically situated in the heart of the city, the club, which is over hundred years old, sits pretty amid the greenery in the south-western part of Cubbon Park. The club celebrated its 100-year anniversary earlier this year, but what is not common knowledge is that it is actually a few years older. And though officially registered in 1917, which can be seen written at various points across the club, the club was actually operational since 1912, as discovered in century-old records recently, says SP Rakshit, president, Century Club.
One club, multiple monickers
The first two major recreational clubs in the city were Bangalore Club and Bowring Club, both established in the 19th century, which catered exclusively to the British, and restricted entry to Indians.
It was due to this that the founder, Bharat Ratna-awardee and former Diwan of Mysore, Sir M Visvesvaraya (Sir MV) proposed having a similar club for Indians, but one that would be open to all, and one that would be a meeting point for government officials, the royal family and club members.
“In 1909, under the name ‘Gentleman’s Club’, the Century Club that we know today, was established, and was located near the Reserve Bank of India office,” says Rakshit. A want to change locations led to Sir MV writing to the then Maharaja of Mysuru, after which a seven-acre plot was granted by the Wadiyar dynasty in 1912, and was called ‘Bangalore Club’.
“In 1913, it was renamed Cosmopolitan Club due to its cosmopolitan nature, a meeting point for people of all ethnicities. They wanted to restrict the number of members to 100, so the name Century Club was finally adopted and registered in 1917,” says Prasad. He adds that though the activities conducted at the club, such as tennis, billiards, badminton and cards, are of European descent, the overall feel of the club was designed to suit Indians.
Structures kept intact
One of the old documents that were unearthed is the minutes of a meeting from 1913, where general body members have decided to float debentures to raise `22,000 to construct the main building, says Rakshit, who has been coming to the club with his parents since he was a child.
The committee members are dedicated to maintaining the structures for their historical relevance and old-world charm, rather than renovating them. Rakshit adds that though this is a difficult task, as they always have leaky ceilings, they are determined to maintaining the club as it is, without disturbing its greenery.
A walk through the club takes one through old buildings and structures, such as the badminton court, the library, the lawn and dining areas, and the world-class tennis courts to name a few. With a few additions over the years to keep up with times, such as the health centre, grocery store and salons, the club now caters to 6,000 members, some of whom are as old as 104.
The club had five state-of-the-art clay tennis courts earlier, which is now reduced to three, as the club now sits on four-acres rather than seven. “There has always been a good fellowship among the tennis players at the club. We always get together to celebrate each others’ birthdays with a massive breakfast, where senior members like us put a shawl and peta (turban) on whose ever birthday it is. We call it ‘thithi oota’ (thithi referring to an annual death ceremony) jokingly as some of the members are very old,” laughs Anil Lal, who has been a member since 1982, and whose father was a member before him. He calls the club his first home.
Vada-sambhar a must-eat: Members
When asked what makes Century Club special, the vada-sambhar makes an appearance on every club members’ list.“Century Club has always been known for its food. The bagalabath (tempered curd rice), vada-sambhar and Portugese fish are very famous here,” says Rakshit.
Arjun Anekar from Tumkur, who has been a member for 17 years, says that as a child, each time his family visited the city, they would only eat at Century Club, and that’s why the food is filled with nostalgia. “I didn’t know any other place here, each time we came to Bengaluru, this was the only place for food...and sports,” he says. For Nethravathi Rajkumar, who is part of the club’s executive committee, a meal at the club forms the basis of a very precious memory. “There was an India-Pakistan cricket match happening at the stadium when I was a teenager, around 30 years back. After the match, the players came to the club for a meal, and I was here too. I remember seeing so many famous players, and was especially happy seeing Ravi Shastri,” she says.