City landmark – Gurgaon Club, Civil Lines, Gurgaon Landmarks by The Delhi Walla - November 9, 20180 The watering hole that was. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Iced beer and bridge tables, pukka sahibs and uniformed butlers. This is the mise-en-scène instantly evoked by the mere thought of colonial-era clubs that sprang up in every district headquarter of British India. Gurgaon Club in Gurgaon’s Civil Lines too is a souvenir of that long-gone civilization. It was “established since 1930”–according to a rusting notice board. Another similarly-gloomy board warns that “this property belongs to Zila Parishad, Gurgaon. Trespassers will be prosecuted.” The gate, however, is open. A cabin beside it is crammed with broken chairs. A rutty path tapers away to the club building–a small bungalow perched under a dense tree cover. The walls have gone mossy-green, perhaps a consequence of recent rains. The ground is littered with rotting leaves. A damaged auto-rickshaw with a shattered windshield is parked on one side. The club’s windows are shuttered close. Perhaps they haven’t been opened for years. The porch is bare but for a chair. The main door is open giving a view of the empty room inside–a round table at the center, covered with a white cloth. A young man is loitering outside in what once must have been the front lawns but now is just a wild grassy expanse, though within the club’s boundary walls. Looking utterly lost, he fails to utter a single word. What has become of the club, one wonders. A newspaper report, published three years ago, mentions illegal occupants and court-ordered evictions. Frankly speaking, this relic of Gurgaon’s history seems spooky. If you feel hesitant to enter, just gaze upon the club from outside. In a town where real estate is gold, this sprawling space has been left to nibble on its past. For now. Playhouse of the past 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. FacebookX Related Related posts: City Landmark – Christian Cemetery, Civil Lines, Gurgaon Mission Delhi – Urmila, Civil Lines, Gurgaon City Monument – The Church of Epiphany, Civil Lines, Gurgaon Mission Delhi – Parvati, Civil Lines, Gurgaon City Monument – The Church(es) of The Epiphany, Civil Lines, Gurgaon