The Last Club Standing
Power · Legacy · Delhi · May 2026 The Last Club Standing 113 years of scotch, secrets, and power. Delhi Gymkhana is finally being evicted — and with it, an entire idea of who India belongs to. May 25, 2026 · 7 min read · Delhi Picture it: a Tuesday evening on Safdarjung Road. A retired IAS officer nursing a Scotch. A former judge on his third gin. A newspaper editor whispering into an MP's ear. Nobody's really paying — it's all on tab, and the tab at Delhi Gymkhana has always been, in one way or another, on India. That party ends June 5, 2026, when the government ordered the club to vacate its 27.3 acres. All of it. Gone. The club — fast facts Founded July 3, 1913 — as "Imperial Delhi Gymkhana" Architect Robert Tor Russell (also built Connaught Place) Waiting list Up to 37 years Membership fee ~₹20 lakh Seats reserved for IAS/IPS 40% Seats for defence 40% Born imperial. Stayed imperial. The British founded this club in 1913 as a social fort...