Sometime in early 1897 a group of young men submitted a request to the then Maharajah of Cochin, Rama Varma XV, also known as Rajarshi and the Abdicated Highness. Their plea was to grant a suitable building where they could spend the “evening hours in congenial surrounding and company and indulge in physical and recreational activities after office and court work.”
Records reveal that a letter dated February 12, 1897, from the Diwan of Cochin was handed over to the late Justice K. Narayana Marar that stated, “I have the honour to inform you that His Highness has been pleased to allow the use, for the purpose of the proposed club, of the Sirkar Building (Government building) recently vacated by the Ex-Diwan, V. Subramaniam Pillay...”
This was the genesis of Rama Varma Club, which in the early days was called Rama Varma Union Club. It is one of the oldest clubs in the South of India and oldest in the State. Located in the heart of Ernakulam, overlooking the lush Durbar Hall Ground, the club has grown in terms of membership and facilities.
The first meeting of the club managing committee was held on June 3, 1897, which elected the office bearers and the committee to run its activities. Justice Narayana Marar was its first president. “Justice Marar was president for a long time. In fact, most of the members at that time were lawyers and government officials. There were, if my memory is right, two buildings then. The Cochin Commercial Bank functioned out of one of them. Billiards, tennis and cards were the main sporting activities, while most of the members reached there every evening to relax and chitchat,” says V.N. Venugopal, local historian.
Senior journalist Ravi Kuttikad adds, “The Ernakulam Town Cooperative Bank functioned from Rama Varma Union Club since 1914. The club had a fixed deposit of Rs. 1,000 in the bank. Sometime in the start of the 1950s, the bank moved to a room in TDM Hall.”
The membership fee in those days was four annas. “Kunjan Nair, the club boy, an elderly man, used to go around and collect the fees. My father was a member and I remember Kunjan Nair in his mundu and melmundu (the upper garment)coming home every month. I used to see him at the club when I accompanied by father occasionally when he went to play tennis. When the players needed water they called out to Kunjan Nair who then served them ‘red coloured water’, which I for long thought was wine. Only later did I realise it was chukkuvallam (medicated water). The other refreshment at the club was betel leaves with tobacco in its dried leaf form served regally in a silver plate.”
The club got a facelift in 1970 due to the efforts of S. Krishnakumar, the then Ernakulam District Collector, who was president of the club’s managing committee. “Krishnakumar was president of the club for 11 years. A comprehensive expansion and modernisation plan was initiated by him. The old building was replaced by the building that you see today. He added facilities, extra rooms and halls,” says Dr. P. Ramakrishnan, former president of the club.
Dr. Ramakrishnan, who was president for six years (1992-98) brought about significant improvements and changes in the structure and facilities. “We completed the air-conditioned hall that can accommodate more than 1,000 people. It was inaugurated in connection with the club’s centenary. During this phase three small halls were constructed, the billiards room was air-conditioned, a sports complex with excellent facilities for badminton, a table tennis court and a modern restaurant were added. A health club was started and we also built air-conditioned rooms and suites. We also have a well-stocked library.”
The club was always known for its tennis and billiards facilities. Many major tournaments at the district and State levels have been played here. “The club has produced some really good players in both these games. The facilities were top class. I remember Wilson Jones, the world champion, playing billiards in the club. He played against Krishnankutty Menon, a very good player,” says Venugopal.
Expansion of the club resulted in removing of one of the two tennis courts. “We needed space for parking, for the special ‘pandal’ that is often erected in connection with weddings held in the Centenary Hall. Moreover, that was a phase when very few played tennis. In the little space we got we put up a volleyball court. The shuttle court on the third floor was inaugurated by Prakash Padukone,” says Dr. Ramakrishnan.
Years have rolled by since the time Rama Varma Club was just a space where officials and judges got together, played a friendly game of tennis or spent holiday morning playing rummy. The club has grown by way of facilities and membership. The Rama Varma Club is affiliated to several other prominent clubs in the State, in other parts of India and also abroad.
“Today, our focus is to maintain the existing facilities giving it periodical facelift. For instance, recently we have done up the interiors of the Kings Court, Manilal Hall, the private hall, the guest rooms and the restaurant. The health club has been upgraded with state-of-the art equipment, we conduct in-house tournaments in various games and we have entrusted the tennis court to a professional player who runs a coaching centre. The halls are available at very competitive rates for even non-members. The club still retains the pride of place in the city,” informs Praveen Menon, secretary of the club.
As part of its social initiative the club, through its many members, assist poor and deserving students in pursuing their education, offer help to needy educational institutions, among many other programmes.
Rama Varma Club has a long history of how it evolved, grew that demonstrates in clear terms the social, cultural, political attitudes of times gone by, which is why it remains relevant.
