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Saer-Tafreeh > Hindu Gymkhana: A jewel of a building
Hindu Gymkhana: A jewel of a building
| An understatement: the Hindu Gymkhana is a special building. But what is it that makes it special? Answer: its timeless charm. No matter what stratum of society you come from or what school of thought you’re a proponent of, once you walk into the Hindu Gymkhana, you can’t help but imbibe the ambience that juxtaposes two worlds – the first quarter of the 20th century with its astounding architecture and modern-day Karachi – and makes you stay at the place for a while. The former dazzles you with cupolas and domed kiosks and the latter with the hustle and bustle that typifies Karachi life. |
| This amazing piece of construction has had its share of uncalled-for problems. In the mid 1980s the then regime wanted to demolish it to make room for a multi-storey structure to fit into it its (government) offices. But our profuse thanks should go to Heritage Foundation which came forward and stopped the disaster, nay catastrophe, from taking place. |
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| At present, the Hindu Gymkhana is the workplace of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa). |
| You step into its rather airy compound and see young girls and boys (some not so young), with bags slung over their shoulders or hefty notepads tightly pressed against their chests, chattering about what they’ve recently learned or what they’re about to study, inexplicably reminding this writer of an oft-quoted line from T.S. Eliot’s Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock … “women come and go, talking of Michelangelo…” But let’s avoid desultory thoughts, and get back to the Hindu Gymkhana. |
| President and CEO of Napa Zia Mohyeddin says: “When I visited the Hindu Gymkhana while I was looking for a place to set up Napa offices, I saw pigeon droppings all over its premises. There was a huge mound of sand and pylons around it. But even then it had a certain ambience. So I thought this place should be put to use for creative purposes. My team and I restored the building and tried to fix the broken things.” |
| The Hindu Gymkhana was designed by Ahmed Hussain Agha and was constructed with the help of Karachi’s Hindu community in 1925 (or 1927). A couple of Agha’s designs are called Mughal-Revival buildings, which is why the massing and the plan form of the gymkhana are based on the early 17th century tomb of Itamadud Daula at Agra – the raised central section, the octagonal corner towers, the arched openings, and chhajjas and their ornamental brackets, etc. It is said that Itamadud Daula’s tomb, arguably, was the trailblazer to the regal and magnificent Taj Mahal. Often, excessive research can lead to faulty conclusions. So not sure about the last one.The gymkhana building is not massive in size. It has a hall and a few relatively small rooms, once used for administrative work. Experts are of the view that many architectural attributes of the Hindu Gymkhana are similar to those one can see in the Mohatta Palace, also designed by Ahmed Hussain Agha. |
| Though the current state of the building appears to be pretty decent, there’s always room for improvement (read: better preservation). Well-known architect Yasmeen Lari says: “I’d like to believe that the Hindu Gymkhana is well taken care of. It was in the 1980s that we had a big issue when the government at the time tried to raze it to the ground, but owing to the timely interference from Heritage Foundation the building was saved. Also, the cultural department of Sindh did a pretty good job to preserve it. |
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| “One marked feature of the Hindu Gymkhana is that it was designed by a Muslim for the Hindu community, which shows the tolerant nature of our region in those days. It speaks volumes for the ethos that were back then a part of our society. Since buildings don’t lie, this particular structure is living proof of the way we used to conduct ourselves,” says Ms Lari. |
| Shedding light on the gymkhana from an architectural perspective, she says: “The British had done a lot of documentation on Mughal architecture and invariably their architectural vocabulary would be borrowed from the Mughal style of construction. Ahmed Hussain Agha, on the other hand, was not alien to the idea, and he designed it with an Anglo-Mughal approach in his mind. It is a very small but beautiful imarat, and is a jewel of a building. It was made for community use, which also goes to show that those were the days when the Hindu community was a prosperous one. I’m very hopeful that it will remain in good hands and stay in fine condition,” says Ms Lari. |
| Once you walk off the Hindu Gymkhana compound, you can’t help but feel that the visit has enriched your consciousness. You reflect upon the time when it was built, and then immediately mull over the many divisions that have nibbled at the very foundation of our society in recent times. If buildings could speak, the Hindu Gymkhana would for sure advocate harmony. |
| Article courtesy: Dawn.com |
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