Delhi’s Hierarchy
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Delhi Gymkhana Club on July 3, 2013, the then President of India Pranab Mukherjee spoke. He described the club as an important meeting place for officials. Mahatma Gandhi met Viceroy Irwin in 1931 shortly before their landmark political agreement. General K. M. Cariappa, the senior most Indian army officer hosted a farewell party for colleagues who had opted for Pakistan at partition in 1947. Located over 27 acres at Safdarjung Road, the club is a single-storey, white columned building shaded by trees and considered a second home to Delhi’s elites. Retired generals, senior bureaucrats, diplomats and old business families feast on kebabs and drink whisky and sodas on leafy verandas. They discuss politics, sports and negotiate business deals under neem trees while served by liveried waiters.
It was founded in 1913 as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club when the British India capital was moved from Calcutta to Delhi. The construction of the building was assigned to Robert Tor Russell. As chief architect of the Public Works Department, he designed some notable structures in Delhi. Following the neo-classical model of Edwin Lutyens, Russell designed Delhi’s Connaught Place, Teen Murti Bhavan, Safdarjung Airport, Gole Market and Pataudi Palace.
After independence, the word “imperial” was dropped from the Delhi Gymkhana Club. Despite its “whites-only” membership initially, the few Indians who joined were expected to learn foxtrot and ballroom dancing. They had to expand their palate to eat eggs, sausages and mashed potatoes for breakfast and drink Bloody Marys on Sunday afternoon.
The club attracted many and the demand for its membership swelled. Even when it costs 2 million rupees to become one of its elite members, it is still not a sure shot. Applications made in the 1970s are still pending approval from the club’s managing committee (the average wait time is 32 years and the average age of a new member is 65 years). The committee consists of sixteen members who are elected each year. New candidates are interviewed for their suitability. They have to look, talk and behave “right.” They are proposed and seconded by members, after which the managing committee approves them.
To become a member boils down to connections and blood lines. If your member parent applied for your membership when you turned 21, then you enjoy a “green card.” Becoming a member in the class-conscious New Delhi is the ultimate sign of social standing. This is not uncommon. At the Delhi Golf Club, considered the “largest golf course situated in the heart of any capital in the world”, the wait time to join is 22 years.
The club boasts of 26 grass tennis courts, one of the largest concentrations in Asia, and has hosted Davis Cup matches. Faint smell of cigarettes and talcum powder linger inside the rummy and bridge rooms. There are a few squash courts and billiards table indoors. The library carries an impressive collection of books, periodicals and newspapers. The walls of the committee room are decorated with portraits of former Gymkhana presidents ranging in order from white-wigged British judges to uniformed Indian generals.
Frustrated at having to swim at the homes of wealthy Indians, Lady Willingdon, wife of the viceroy, had gifted 21,000 rupees to the club at its inception. The club had used the money to fast track a “Lady Willingdon Swimming Bath” and “The Willingdon Squash Courts.” The patrons are requested to wear “appropriate” swimsuit, footwear and head gear for members with long hair. Silicon Valley attire of sneakers, T-shirts and faded jeans is prohibited. Another rule states that “servants and drivers will not be allowed to have food.”
The Controversy
The club enjoyed a perpetual lease from the government (lessor) since 1928. However, the lessor is able to reclaim the land for public purpose. On May 22, 2026, the Land and Development Office under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs asked the club to vacate its 2, Safdarjung Road premises by June 5. The reason provided was to strengthen the “national defence infrastructure and public security needs” as it is located adjacent to the prime minister’s residence. Subsequently, on May 26, the Delhi High Court sided with the government’s eviction notice to the club and refused to grant a stay against the order. The government conceded that “it will not take possession except in accordance with law.” So, a coercive eviction is ruled out.
The club has had other controversies. It has faced questions about nepotism while selecting its members. As new members waited for over 30 years, the club has accumulated the non-refundable registration fees of over 440 million rupees. In 2020, the government accused the club of only spending 3 percent of its budget on sporting activities, something it was supposed to promote when allotted the prime land in Delhi. Instead, it spends 30 percent of its revenue on “wine, liquor and cigarettes.” The government has also sent a notice for dues of 470 million rupees from a revised lease rate.
There would be so much to criticize and complain when the “closed” sign hangs up at Safdarjung Road. The 14,000 members would have to seek another location to continue their conversations over a drink of gin and tonic.
Sources
“Gymkhana looks at a closed sign” by Avishek G. Dastidar; India Today, June 8, 2026
“How Modi’s party took over one of India’s most prestigious private clubs” by Benjamin Parkin, Financial Times, October 13, 2023
“India’s Narendra Modi drops eviction bombshell on Delhi Gymkhana Club” by Michael Stott and Andres Schipani, Financial Times, May 27, 2026
“India’s society clubs, frozen in time – Asia – Pacific – International Herald Tribune” by Amelia Gentleman, The New York Times, October 31, 2006
“Delhi’s most exclusive club is under threat of shutdown – can it survive?” by Zoya Mateen and Abhishek Dey, www.bbc.com
“The last round at the Gymkhana” by Manish Adhikary, www.indiatoday.in
This was a very interesting read! I was pretty unaware of the history behind the Delhi Gymkhana Club. I’ve always believed that institutions are interesting not because they are beyond criticism, but because they actually reveal the values of the societies that sustain them. Institutions like this one aren’t perfect, and that’s what makes them so much more interesting to learn about. On a side note, the attached images/documents were a very nice addition to this blog and so was your writing style!