Punjab Club

The Punjab Club is a historic gentleman's club in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was founded in 1863. [1]

History

Punjab Club was originally founded as the Roberts Club.[2] It holds historical significance for being the venue where the first billiard table was installed.[2] Established in 1863 by A. Roberts, CB, with assistance from D.F. Mcleod, T.H. Thornton, R.H. Davies, and ten other officers, the Roberts Club commenced its operations on January 1, 1863.[2]

Historical manuscripts suggest that this club, primarily comprising intelligence officers, organized dance soirees in the Gol Bagh, park in Amritsar, Punjab, after constructing a pavilion for the army band, with tents catering to refreshments.[2] These events were colloquially known by locals as 'Paggal Nach.'[2] Archival evidence indicates that the club eventually relocated near the Lahore Museum, possibly influenced by John Lockwood Kipling, founder of the Mayo School of Arts (currently NCA), being an active member.[2]

When the club later relocated to a larger building—the current Alhamra Complex—its significance increased.[2] It later moved to the Administrative Staff College's current home on The Mall.[2]

Post-independence, the club's building was repurposed by the government, and the club was moved to a spacious property in GOR 1.[2]

Punjab Club continues to operate as an elite venue for the country's affluent and influential individuals.[2][1]

The club finds a mention in Mohsin Hamid's bestselling novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist where the protagonist, Changez, alludes to his class-conscious family's club membership as a symbol of high social status and wealth in Lahore, despite their diminishing finances.[3][4]

See also

References
  1. "Etiquette is all in Punjab Club as political intrigues reach crescendo". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  2. Sheikh, Majid (November 29, 2020). "Harking Back: British and the birth of Lahore's exclusive clubs". Dawn. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  3. Anjaria, Ulka (22 June 2013). ""A True Lahori"". Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 48, Issue No. 25. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  4. Oboe, Annalisa; Bassi, Shaul (2011). Experiences of Freedom in Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures. Taylor & Francis. p. 141. ISBN 9781136811722.
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