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Coorg (Kodagu) is located on the Western Ghats of Karnataka and is known for growing 30% of India’s coffee. Other major crops grown here are pepper, cardamom, areca, and paddy. This area receives heavy monsoon showers and is the catchment area for river Cauvery. Pollibetta is about 3200 feet above sea level. Coorg has salubrious climate with temperature ranging from 10 degree to 32 degree Celsius. The average daytime temperature round the year is in the comfortable range of 22 to 32 degree Celsius.
British coffee planters started developing estates in Coorg from around 1850s. It was a British tradition to establish a club wherever they resided. They invariably created a ‘Little England’ where they could meet, play games, dance, and party to overcome their nostalgia for home.
Bamboo Club was formally established in 1886 at its present location in Pollibetta. Southern part of Coorg was known as the Bamboo District those days from which the club derived its name. Bamboo Club continues to be a home-away-from-home for the present-day members as well.
Bamboo Club is one of the oldest clubs in India and is ranked amongst the top 100 clubs in the country.
Club History
The Club Timeline
1884
At Woshully Estate bungalow. One of the leading planters of the time, Mr. W.H.R. Craig, proposed that a club should be constructed and promoted for the benefit of the planters and their families where they could meet on a common footing. Soon land was acquired in Pollibetta.
Members enthusiastically pitched in with finance and assistance in various forms to construct the clubhouse
1885
During the Annual General Meeting it was proposed by Mr. Craig that the club be named ‘Bamboo Club’ keeping in tune with the sobriquet – Bamboo District – for southern parts of Coorg.
Construction of the clubhouse was promptly completed
1886
A General Meeting was held with Mr. W.H.R. Craig as the Chairman. On this historic day the building was formally inaugurated. The primary aim of the club was defined as ‘An extension of social facilities’ for the members. Over the years the popularity of the club grew, and new extensions were added to the clubhouse.
1892
A Ladies Room was added in 1892 since women were not allowed in the main clubhouse except on days when there was a party and dancing! The mode of transport those days was by bullock-carts and horse carriages. A Protestant church was established nearby in the year 1892. The area surrounding the club was planted with coffee and even now provides additional income for the club.
1924
The club was well established by the turn of the century. On normal days women and children would spend their time outside the clubhouse or in the Ladies Room, while the men were raucous at the bar. Very often the men would lose track of time and the tired ladies would remind them by sending a slip through one of the bearers with a veiled threat – ‘memsahib sends her salaams’! It was only as late as in 1924 that women were allowed to use the main clubhouse.
1949
Many new facilities such as tennis courts, indoor shuttle court, billiards, card rooms, and children’s room were added over the years. The club was exclusively for the Europeans, and it was only in 1949 that membership was extended to three prominent Indians namely, Rao Bahadur Mandepanda S. Mandanna, his son Mr. M.M. Appaiya, and Dewan Bahadur Ketolira M. Chengappa. By then the Consolidated Coffee Ltd., was well-established and besides the British officers their Indian counterparts were also given membership. Officers of Bombay Burma Trading Company too were active members of the club.
1986
The centenary of the club was celebrated in grand style with a formal sit-down dinner for all the members. The bamboo club currently has a membership of over 500, many of them being coffee planters.
1997
The main clubhouse was extensively renovated in 1997. However, the original floorplan was retained including the century old wooden dance floor in the hall. Four new cottages were added in addition to the existing two.
2008
A separate building with dining hall, kitchen, children’s room, and related facilities were added in 2008.
2018
Bamboo Club underwent total renovation in 2017/18 under the presidentship of Mr. A.S. Muthanna, and his committee. Though the original foundation was retained to a large extent, the interior, the flooring, lounge, bar, billiards room, cardroom, washrooms etc., were redesigned and given a new look. The newly refurbished clubhouse was inaugurated on 7th July 2018. Of the two clay tennis courts one was converted to synthetic surface and is floodlit.
2019
A swimming pool was added in 2019. The club has a reading room and a collection of more than 3800 books in the library. Guestrooms are well furnished and have television and wi-fi Many events are conducted on a regular basis and the members take part in them enthusiastically. Bamboo Club continues to be a home away from home.