New look for Century Club
The Century Club recently celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Sir M Vishweshwaraiah in a very special way. The club’s entrance or the lobby to be precise, was beautifully renovated, keeping in mind the changing tastes of the young people.
The club has invested nothing less than Rs 16 lakh on the new look. A 15-ft high waterfall has been built behind Sir M Vishweshwaraiah’s statue. The waterfall is lit up in the night with flower decorations on either side of the statue just to create a good ambience. It is said that when Vishweshwaraiah was the Dewan of Mysore, he planned a visit to the Bangalore Club. The staff of the club asked him to take off the Mysore turban and put on a cap and wear coat if he wanted to enter the club.
This disturbed him no end and he decided to start a club during his term as the Dewan of Mysore.
During those days, the Cantonment areas did not allow Indians inside these clubs.
Holding onto our culture, Vishweshwaraiah wanted to start a club that catered to the local people. He then wrote a letter to the government asking for permission to start a club.
Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who was the ruling king at the time, sanctioned seven acres, 20 guntas of land in Cubbon Park, Seshadri Road. The Century Club was founded in 1917 and Sir M
Vishweshwaraiah was the first president of the club.
Within two years of its inception, the club was well-equipped. It started with a nine-member committee and 100 members. Currently, the club has 5,400 members.
The recreational and gaming facilities at the club include lawn tennis, billiards and table tennis. It also has a bar, restaurant, library, gym, supermarket, cards room, health club and swimming pool.
The auditorium in the club caters to celebrate occasions and cultural activities. There are 20 air-conditioned rooms for the members to stay. The club is registered under the Karnataka Society Act.
