The Kasauli Club- Reminiscence of the British era

             Ever since I started blogging, I wanted to write about the Kasauli club- which has been my vacation abode and  second home for  the last 3 decades. Belonging to Chandigarh, it is merely 60 km ( crows's flight - 20 km) drive from home along National Highway 22. And a beautiful drive at that- especially after the New Himalayan  Expressway. The places covered during the journey from Chandigarh to Kasauli are Chandigarh - 12 km -> Panchkula - 14 km -> Kalka - 24 km -> Dharampur - 12 km -> Kasauli.

My recollection of Kasauli Club conjures up memories of gang of kids going for bun samosas/tikkis to the cobblestone market, eating Gulab Jamuns at Mohanji's, playing squash, trying my hand unsuccessfully at a game of Tennis, playing TT, badminton, and not to forget the well stocked library of old books, in which I felt like a kid in a candy store.. .then there were the evening dances, Tambola, Kasauli week which happened during the month of June.

Entrance to the club proudly announcing ESTB : 1880

Foyer- Bar on the right

Dining room

Amazing well stocked gymnasium

View from the top overlooking the Badminton courts

foyer/main entrance  leading to the staircase

Kasauli club

The Club stands out in my memory as a meticulously maintained,  red gable roofed structure. some of my dearest and oldest friends are a gift of this club. The beautiful potted plants, hanging pots (mostly the typical hill species would be bursting in full bloom during summer months)

The post dinner strolls with my gang of friends still stand out clearly in my mind. That was the time to discuss the ghost  stories which did the rounds. There was the story of the Lady's Grave. Both the lady and the horse were visible on full Moon's night. All houses which looked abandoned ( not lived in) were considered ghost infested by us kids and we would let our imagination run wild while the young mind drew all kind of conjectures from them. The ghastlier the merrier!!!!!

There was rampant a story of the Col Sahib and his pretty young  wife. He suspected her fidelity. He killed her in a fit of rage, stacked the body into a gunny bag and transported it to the base of Monkey Point.
It is believed his tormented soul still does the rounds!!.

Whether there was any iota of truth to them or not one could not overlook the eerie feeling while taking those night walks. There was never any ghostly encounters, though (sadly).

This time when I went on my annual holiday to the Club (being stationed in Bangalore- my trips here are an annual feature now)..I went to the library to do some research on the history . But alas no old books could be found as they were burnt during the fire.

The new look Club was inaugurated in 2001. However, it was destroyed by fire in Jan 2002, (due to the malfunctioning of an electric component) but was rebuilt with active participation by all the members and re-inaugurated on 27 Mar 2005. The finishing in its current resplendent glory is a testament to the outstanding work & the spirit of the managing committee, members & staff of the Kasauli Club. From a humble beginning, today the Kasauli Club has become an institution of the most elegant, famous and sought after Clubs in Northern India.

 So I looked up the club website to look into the history of the place. I will share what I found on their official website :

The present Kasauli Club was established as “ The Kasauli Reading and Assembly Rooms in 1880. On 01 Jan 1898, it came to be known as Kasauli Club” by a resolution passed on 07 May 1897 wherein it was stated that the management of the Kasauli Reading & Assembly Rooms being unsatisfactory it was desired that the Management should be in the hands of army officers & civil servants residing in the Cantonment.

 It was registered as “Kasauli Club” on 21st Sep 1898 at the Registrar’s office Lahore. Before that, the Club took over the premises, houses, grounds etc from the Kasauli Assembly & Reading Rooms company. The year 1900 seemed to be an important year in the growth of the Club judging by the entries in the minute book. This is the year when a resolution was passed to construct a new kitchen and the residence quarters. The Club was later renamed as Kasauli Club Ltd and is now governed by the “ Companies Act 1956”

Col ML Ahuja was the first Indian Chairman of Club Management Committee of independent India, who was instrumental in saving the Club from being sold off in 1947. Maj (Later Maj Gen) Mohinder Singh Chopra was amongst the first Indian members of the Club.

The Kasauli club- now

As empires were being built, the Kasauli Club prospered and went from strength to strength. Other than the bars, library, billiard room, the Club boasted of six Tennis courts. A leveled shelf served as the grand stand above the courts to allow the spectators a view of the tennis while nibbling on their cold cucumber sandwiches at tea time. Life was as its zenith. Quickly, the Club established a reputation for good food, good drink and a smart social circle. It became a central focal point for people meeting in the Shimla hills. Residential quarters were constructed to facilitate out of towners.

 Kasauli vied with Shimla for importance. It could not claim to be the hub but it was most important spoke in the Raj wheel. Easily accessible from the heat, dust and water starved plains, Kasauli offered cool air and a smart elite social set up. These are exactly the reasons; Kasauli is so sought after even today..
 
One of the most prestigious social clubs in the country, its membership comes with 15 years wait time. The club is managed by the Indian Army personnel, known as 'Club Secretary'. Highlight of the club, which was built using wood of high quality, is its aesthetic wooden interiors and decoration.

I feel truly proud, and always at home at this Club. The outstanding managament, the cordial staff, the old world charm of the hill station , colonial hangover found lurking in the nooks and cranies - all have a role to play in this.