Upasana

While the Delhi Gymkhana Club stays exclusive to members only. India Habitat Centre welcomes EVERYONE with open arms! Movie screenings, theatre plays, live performances, exhibitions — something exciting happens here every single day. Just walk in, enjoy the stunning architecture, world-class infrastructure, and some of Delhi’s best food joints. Delhi is the true people’s cultural hub

Why Gymkhana Club closure is the ideal low hanging fruit to be plucked by the government: 1. Is not a voting bloc nor does it get influenced by slogans 2. Cannot be managed by subsidies bcs members dont need them 3 Has no capacity to contribute to party coffers in any way 4 Does not indulge in any propaganda nor can be used for one 5 Legacy means nothing bcs decolonisation is the theme like de-Lutyenisation 6. Symbolic value is so telling - a strike against the rich and powerful drinking away in the evenings & worse, discussing good old times 7. Since, security reason is bogus (PM house shifting) so defence establishment is suddenly reqd & right there 8. In reaction - no political party, right wingers, Left thinkers or jholawallahs can support the 'rich', nor will riticise the closure. 9 May even fetch a few votes thru campaign by the inside brigade of army and civil services coterie (with parched throats) Meanwhile 1. The official Government Club - Ashoka Hotel will not be closed for high and mighty officials and netas 2. Constitutional club will continue with gym, restaurant facilities and earn money so MPs can relax and have fiesta election exercises 3. Lodi hotel has already become a sarkari aided Monument 4. Lutyens will continue being decolonised with monstrous building . Since we cant build good old ones why not destroy them. So, There is no quality of life in India hence CEOs of indian companies based in Singapore etc. But quality of life is supreme factor in deciding abroad - both for rich and poor. All CEOs will run away. This was a place for them too. Diplomats will be bewildered. Rubio will get to know this and chuckle from inside. Foreign investment is running away. Closing of a gymkhana club will certainly figure in quality of life. If in 27 acres of gymkhana, poor housing is made or slums are settled - I will have no objection at all. These hair brained schemes make laugh in desperation and frustration. I go to gym once a month so my heart goes out to the regulars

Delhi Gymkhana is prime example of the “Lutyens Grab” and the club is filled with elitism, nepotism and gate keeping. BTW. I applied 37 years ago as a teenager, and still waiting for my turn to even get heard :)

Centre has issued an order for re-entry and resumption of the historic Delhi Gymkhana Club land at Safdarjung Road, New Delhi, citing public purpose, defence infrastructure and national security considerations. The government has asked the Club to hand over possession of the property by June 5, 2026.

DELHI GYMKHANA CLUB. THE LAST VESTIGE OF COLONIAL INDIA AND THE REDOUBT OF BABALOG (LUTYENS) PRIVILEGE, NEPOTISM IS NOW GOING TO BE CLAIMED BY THE CENTRE. Centre Moves to Take Back Delhi Gymkhana Club Land, Cites Defence and Public Security Needs In a significant move, the Central Government has ordered the re-entry and resumption of the Delhi Gymkhana Club premises located at 2, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi, stating that the land is required for urgent public and strategic purposes. The order was issued on May 22, 2026, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through the Land & Development Office (L&DO). The government stated that the property, spread across 27.3 acres, lies in a highly sensitive and strategic area of the national capital and is now needed for strengthening defence infrastructure, public security arrangements, governance infrastructure, and other public-interest projects. According to the communication, the premises had originally been leased to the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd., now known as Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd., for the purpose of maintaining a social and sporting club. The Delhi Gymkhana Club is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in India. The club shifted to its present location in 1913 and was then known as the “Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club”, with Spencer Harcourt Butler serving as its first President. After India attained Independence in 1947, the word “Imperial” was dropped and the institution came to be known simply as the Delhi Gymkhana Club. The club traces its origins to July 1913. In its early years, the Polo Club functioned as part of the Gymkhana Club before becoming a separate entity in the 1930s after shifting to New Delhi. Historical records relating to the club’s origins are limited, and systematic documentation of its history is understood to have begun only around 1927. Referring to Clause 4 of the lease deed, the Centre noted that the lessor has the authority to re-enter the premises if the land is required for a public purpose. Exercising those powers, the President of India, acting through the L&DO, has determined the lease and ordered immediate re-entry of the property. The order further states that the entire land parcel, along with all buildings, structures, lawns and fittings standing on it, shall vest absolutely with the President of India through the Land & Development Office. The Land & Development Office is scheduled to take over the premises on June 5, 2026. The Delhi Gymkhana Club has been directed to hand over peaceful possession of the property on the said date, failing which possession would be taken in accordance with law. The communication was signed by Deputy Land & Development Officer Suchit Goyal and issued with the approval of the competent authority.

I knew she will show up in some tacky dress. Why can’t she find a stylist for once who knows what works for her?

No hate but Aishwarya Rai needs to call this old designer up ASAP. She is gorgeous and less is more.

Madhumalti 🌸

If you are blue blooded Delhiite then you know this place

Kem cho Ahmedabad 🙌🏻