Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a booklover, someone who loves sporting a well-groomed beard or a fan of anime, you’re sure to find your tribe in Bangalore, going by the number of clubs and communities here. While you’ll find a bunch of regular options, don’t be surprised if you come across a few fun and quirky clubs too. Here, in no particular order, are some of our favourite clubs in Bangalore.
LBB’s Loving
Bangalore Brew Crew
Readers’ Vote
Bangalore Mountaineering Club
BumsOnTheSaddle are loved as much for their name as for the community of cyclists they’ve built in the city. This cycling group aims for nothing less than to redefine the way bicycling is done in India. Besides regular bicycling trips in and around Bangalore, they also operate a state-of-the-art store for bicycles and related gear.
Still going strong, 11 years on: this club has diversified its offerings from simple day hikes to spots near Bangalore to more ambitious ones such as Himalayan treks. They’re beginner-friendly: they rate their trips by difficulty, and also conduct coaching and workshops. If you’re looking for a quick getaway this weekend, they’re your best bet.
A sort of localised version of the Anonymous hacker collective – but with more accountability and civic sense. The Ugly Indian proceeds from the premise that we are all “Ugly Indians” – and that’s why the streets are in the mess they’re in today. They organise regular spot-cleans and beautification campaigns, which have now inspired residents of other cities to follow suit.
They call themselves a drinking club with a running problem, and we are on board. On alternate Sunday afternoons, members of the local edition of the international club meet somewhere on the outskirts of the city and run for a good few kilometres – and chase that down with plenty of cold beer. The Bangalore Hash House Harriers have been at it since 1990, and we’re glad they’ve stuck around.
Older than many of the city’s bars and pubs, the KQA was founded in 1983, and attracts quizzers of all stripes, from the veteran to the amateur. Their quizzing calendar is filled with a roster of themed and general quizzes, and usually culminates in their annual festival in June, ASKQANCE.
It seems Atta Galatta is always full of literary programming, but there’s more in store for book nerds. The Atta Galatta book club meets monthly, and aims to be a forum to explore and discuss the best books possible. They also occasionally host authors and workshops.
“Find Life Over Here,” they exhort you: Floh is an offline singles’ network for when you’re sick of online dating and wish to meet people in real life. Their activities include sangria showdowns, picnics, and workshops of various kinds. Members are carefully selected, and advised to treat it less as a dating club, more as a social activities club.
They’re not just a regular running club: Runner’s High is a full-fledged community organisation, bent on bringing the runner’s high to everyone, irrespective of background. Members can access coaches and specialised training, as well as participate in their many runs.
Started just over a month ago by city-based wedding planner and event manager, Vishal Singh, the Bangalore Beard Club is for anyone who sports a beard {no points for guessing that}. Bringing together “bearded men of all religion, race and creed”, the group has monthly activities for the mensfolk to engage and interact with each other. Think cookouts, bike rides and photo shoots. Tempting enough to make you grow a beard?
Dedicated to all things anime, manga and cosplay, the group has monthly or tri-weekly meetups on Sundays for members to get together and discuss to their heart’s content about their favourite works from the popular Japanese art forms. Done some manga art yourself and want feedback? They have a separate group for manga art, too.
Reviews of beers, home-brewed creations, interesting recipes for new brews – this group really is all about beer. Probably a dream come true for craft beer enthusiasts, expect experiments and ideas for exciting new brews. While you might just get to guzzle down latest beers from breweries in town, there’s also the possibility of getting to try out some of the drinks brewed by the folks in the group. Read more about the group here.
For Bangalore fans of Arsenal, the popular English football club, you probably need no introduction to this group. A city-based fan club which has been recognised as the Official Supporters Club of the Arsenal FC, the group was previously known as Bangalore Gunners. Apart from regular meetings of the Gooners, they also have match screenings and even sell some cool merchandise like t-shirts, mugs and key chains. It’s the closest you’ll come to having the same atmosphere as one does at the Emirates Stadium in London — the club’s home ground. So… long live Wenger?
What started as ‘just a bike ride of only girls’ is now India’s largest women-only biking community. With the idea of empowering women, especially if you believe in your bike taking you to nirvana, then this club is for you. Apart from taking off on roadtrips, the meet-ups also involve volunteering for social causes, other biking events and even fun family and friend activities to let the whole community interact.
Touted to be the oldest Python group in the country, this one, has absolutely nothing to do with snakes! It’s all about code, people! With over 4,500 Pythonistas part of the group, workshops, talks, fun hackathons and casual meet-ups are part of the agenda. Nothing like bashing out some geeky gyan with those who actually understand, eh?
With inputs from Roshni Jacob and Aakanksha Singh Devi.
