This Club Founded By CV Raman And Is Known For Its Rich Heritage

Calcutta South India Club boasts of a rich heritage unlike any other posh clubs in the city.

Clubs and pubs are on the rise these days and the hype surrounding them is ever increasing. The sound of merriment increases exponentially as the clock ticks by. But Calcutta South India Club doesn’t belong to that pack. It is essentially a “family club”, as the General Secretary Mr Nayyar says.

CSIC was founded in 1926 by a man who needs no introduction at all — CV Raman. Very few clubs can boast of such a rich heritage. It began with the hope of serving as a meeting point for all those from South India in Calcutta, a place where they could meet people of their own kind, celebrate their festivities and unwind. It looks like a large sprawling Bengali bungalow rather than a quintessential clu. It has a very traditional old world charm lingering in every nook and corner. 

You have to be  introduced by an existing member if you want to join the club. An interview is conducted and then the membership is given out. But it’s worth it, so dig out someone if you can. They have a library which boasts of having some priceless editions of books. They have the entire National Geographic collection right from the year 1945 to 2005. Apart from these, they have comics, novels and magazines of all genres. 

They also have a reading room, a card room (complete with a card table for playing bridge and rummy), and a table tennis room. The premises can be hired out (if you are a member) for any occasion such as wedding ceremonies, conference meetings, birthday or anniversary celebrations. 

The club also houses some guest rooms, but the guests will have to be an acquaintance of a member of the club along with legitimate ID proof. A non-AC room is for INR 800 and an AC room is for INR 1,500, per night.