One of the oldest clubs in Kolkata, the Calcutta Club was set up way back in 1907, to bridge the gap between the colonisers and us Indians.
People thought of setting up this club after the discriminatory behaviour that was revealed at The Bengal Club, dictated by a policy based on race. The then Maharajah of Cooch Behar was the first president of this new club. They were quite sexist though, only accepting men as members (women were let in from 2007)!
It’s another of a long list of Raj-era clubs in Kolkata that feel like they are in a time warp: waiters bowing in traditional clothes, lots of vintage wooden furniture, old photos of (mostly) male members, a card room numerous chandeliers, and just the lingering scent of that time that prevailed 108 years ago.
If you are a member, you can avail of the heated swimming pool (with swimming coaching), a tennis clay lawn, a badminton court, table tennis and billiards table and a library. They also have a parlour and a barber shop for members.