Bangalore Club

Over the last millennium, it has transformed into an elite and exclusive hub for Bangalore’s silver spoons, nouveau riche and celebrities in varying fields. It has magnanimously written off a debt of Rs 13 left by subaltern Winston Churchill in 1896 and can count upon more solvent members from the crème de la crème of local society.

The club boasts of many firsts: its members enjoyed electricity, telephones and motor cars at a time when the rest of India was decades behind. Today it boasts of a sophisticated health club, spa, swimming pool, tennis courts, library, party halls, several restaurants and bars. In a lingering remnant of the past, there is a bar that is only for men, though a few years ago, it opened a mixed bar yielding to vociferous demands of its women members. In the grand gallantry of old, armed service officers still get to enjoy the privileges of the club.

The club is far from being a refuge for dotty pensioners; it has a flourishing life for the young – fashion shows, dances and rock shows that keep its spirit willing and flesh strong.

Sagar Muthappa, Businessman

“The club is like a living album of my life. I am the second generation of my family to be associated with the Bangalore Club. My father, B.G. Muthappa, has been a member since 1963 and was also a president of the club. I became a member of the club in the year 2000.

As a child, my favourite haunt in the club was the swimming pool; it changed to the squash court and the table tennis lounge as an adolescent. Today, my hangout is the Umbrella Bar, where I can be found catching up with old friends.

Bangalore Club has always been the focal point of my family’s social life. Throughout my life I have lived near the club. This is where I have spent my childhood and met some of my closest friends. The grounds of the club have been a witness to the mischief committed by my gang. Some of the workers here have been working so long that they have seen me as a child and they are now watching my child grow. This is where I dated my first girlfriend and where I first met and then courted my wife, Kavita.

I remember scaring the lifeguard at the swimming pool by diving into the pool from dangerous places; it would scare me if my child did the same thing now!”