The Delhi Gymkhana Club or Delhi Gymkhana (Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

: दिल्ली जिमख़ाना, Punjabi

Punjabi language

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

: ਦਿੱਲੀ ਜਿਮਖ਼ਾਨਾ, Urdu

Urdu

Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

: دلّی جِمخانہ) is a premier Gymkhana

Gymkhana

Gymkhana is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for "racket court," is an Indian term which originally referred to a place where sporting events take place. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held...

 in New Delhi

New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

, the capital of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. So selective is the membership criterion that the usual waiting period for membership is about 30 years.

History

Originally called the 'Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club', it was founded on July 3, 1913, at Coronation Grounds, Delhi, and its first president was Spencer Harcourt Butler, first governor of the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh

United Provinces of Agra and Oudh

The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1947; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces, by which the province had been commonly known, and by which name it was also a province of...

. When new imperial capital of India, New Delhi

New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

 was built, the club was allotted 27.3 acres of land in 1928 on perpetual lease. The word imperial was dropped when India gained independence in 1947.

The club is located in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi

Lutyens' Delhi

Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...

 on Safdarjung Road

Safdarjung Road

Safdarjung Road is a main road, in New Delhi, India, named after 18th century Safdarjung's Tomb near it. At the north end, the road stretches from the junction of Teen Murti Marg, Akbar Road, Rajaji Marg and Racecourse Road, which is a roundabout...

, occupying 27.3 acres (110,479.3 m²) of land as per the site plan made on the drawing board by Sir Edwin Lutyens

Edwin Lutyens

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...

as part of his grand design for Imperial Celebrations. Lutyens Delhi - the eighth in line - was built in an area littered with stones, tombs, domes, ruined walls and gardens of imperial former capitals - the historic cross roads and battle grounds of India.