In the editorial of the Statesman on 24th May, 1887 appeared that "Everyone will be glad to learn that the Lieutenant Governor has sanctioned the construction of the Calcutta Swimming Club on the site selected near Chandpal Ghat". It was on this day that the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal has sanctioned the construction of "CALCUTTA SWIMMING BATH", the forerunner of the existing - The calcutta Swimming Club
"The Swimming Bath" was founded by a group of Calcutta merchants headed by Messrs A.H.Willis and Busland to provide amenities for their young and junior assistants, who had neither the social standing nor the financial means necessary for membership of more important Clubs. The founders in their astute wisdom introduced the "CASH PAYMENT" rule which in those days of chits and credit slips was unique and intended to prevent the young members running into debt.
Calcutta Swimming Club, as we see it today, was actually founded by the Late Walter Davis, a partner of Hamilton & Company. He was the first Secretary of the Club. Since its inception the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal was the Head of the Club till 1923 when Mr. N. Hamilton was elected as it's first President.
The Club in the days immediately after the first WORLD WAR had only the inside Swimming Bath with dressing cubicles on the North side. Outside the northern side, there was a rectangular shaped TANK, a little smaller than the SWIMMING BATH . The sides of the Tank were built up by perhaps a couple of feet of earth banks held together by long grass. The present dressing rooms and the "porch" were added after 1926 and the rest of the buildings were cam up after the construction of the outside Pool, which was built in the 1930s.
From the mid 1920s onwards there were sessions for LADIES, two or three times a week for about an hour and mixed bathing was permitted on Friday evenings. Men used the dressing cubicles on the North side and the Women, the Gallery. There was a screen along the gallery rail to prevent those downstairs seeing too much or, for that matter anything. Of course, men had to wear "SLIPS" under the then costume regulations, while the ladies were completely covered all much too properly.
Catering was of course in its infancy and a Bovril and biscuits. The biscuits used to be wet by the time the old bearer brought them in a cracked cup and that was all there was to be had. The ladies eventually started the tea service.
The bath could be reserved by a member for private parties for a modest fee - many stories were told of these parties
The Club celebrated its GOLDEN JUBILEE in 1937 and some of the commemorative Pewter TANKARDS presented by members are still with the Club. During the Second World War the Club offered relaxation to tired service Officers on leave from weary services at various theatres. In 1941, the Club was honoured by a FIGHTER AIRCRAFT being named "Calcutta Swimming Club" in appreciation of its contribution to the War efforts.
The period immediately after World War II was undoubtedly the most prosperous in the Club's history. There were over five thousand individual members and financial resources were plentiful. During this period the original 'LEAN TO' verandah was replaced by the larger brick structure, while both the Bar and Verandah were air-conditioned.
In 1964, Maharaja of CoochBehar was inducted as the First INDIAN MEMBER. Again it was in 1976, Late P.T. Basu was elected as the First INDIAN PRESIDENT of the Club. The Club celebrated its CENTENARY in 1985. The Club has been continuously undergoing major renovations / upgradation to enhance the facilities to its members.
We have Four Bars – The Main Bar, Pub Bar, and The Poolside Bar are known for their exclusivity. And the Fourth one has come up at the banquets on the first floor.
Children under the age of 12 years must not remain in the Club premises after 10:00PM. However children are not allowed in the dining Hall / Lounge after 10:00 PM.
Appropriately dressed to suit the occasion in the Club Premises. National dress is permitted. Except on Sunday / Holiday mornings shorts will not be allowed in the Main Bar. Shorts will not be allowed in the Bars or Lounge during Evening Hours. Strap sandals / Shoes are compulsory in the Bars for gentlemen. In general, members and guests are requested to dress in a manner which is considered proper and maintains the decorum of a modern Club. Wearing National Dress (“Dhoti” & “Kurta” or “Sherwani with Churidar”) is permitted. Whereas, “Kurta with Pyjama” is prohibited.
Alcoholic Drinks, Food or Refreshments shall not be brought from outside by any Member or Guest for consumption on the Club Premises.
| HEALTH PARLOUR TIMINGS |
|---|
| 6.30 AM – 10.30 AM (Unisex) Every day |
| 10.30 AM – 3.00 PM (Exclusive Ladies, except Sundays & Holidays) Every day |
| 3.00 PM – 10.30 PM (Unisex) Every day |
Dear Members,
I am deeply humbled and honoured to pen my thoughts to you as President of our beloved “CSC” as we fondly call it. It is with great excitement that I embark on this journey of service and camaraderie alongside each and every one of you.
First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you all for the trust and confidence, you have placed in me and for the unanimous support.
As most of you , who have grown up in the Club, “CSC” holds a special place in my heart, having spent my childhood here. I am committed to upholding the values, traditions and ethos of our Club, while also striving to bring fresh ideas, innovation, and ensuring that our Club continues to remain a welcoming and vibrant hub for social interaction, sports, entertainment, and enriching our lives through forging long lasting friendships, I sincerely look forward to working closely with each one of you, listening to your feedback, ideas and suggestions to improve and ensure that our Club continues to thrive and evolve to meet the diverse needs and interests of our membership. Your voices matter, and I am here to learn. share your views, and lead the Club with integrity, transparency and accountability.
I am confident that with your support and active participation, we can achieve greater heights of success and fulfil the true potential of our Club.
In the coming days, I will be reaching out to you to share our plans for the festive season programmes, initiatives for development of the Club, and coaching facilities for our Sports Members.
I thank you once again for your belief, support and love that you have given me over the past years, as a Member of the Committee, and now giving me an opportunity to serve the Club as your President.
Let us, together, write the next chapter of our Club’s legacy with passion, purpose and pride!!
Meghna joins me in sending our best wishes for Durga Puja, Dushera and Diwali to you and your family.
With warm regards!
Gaurav Chokhany
President
Esteemed Members,
It’s indeed a matter of great honour to have been appointed as the CEO & Secretary of this most happening Club at Kolkata.
You shall be surprised to know that I have been visiting this Club since 2009 in guest’s capacity, courtesy friends; who have been members since generations here. Not only I have visited the Club on many occasions in the past but have had an honour to stay for two nights as well, in the then; one of the newly constructed guest rooms in 2019.
As an outsider; I have seen this Club improve day by day. I have seen the extreme passion, the members have for this Club. I have myself witnessed members spending from their own pockets to get things done in the interest of the Club. This sort of passion is rarely visible outside a family.
Out here every new management seems to have added tons of amenities, which have elevated the atmosphere and the status of this Club, making other clubs envy it and has motivated their members to look for some pretext or the other to enjoy the facilities here.
The vast media coverage of the Club activities speaks volumes about the status it enjoys in the society.
I join this family of CSC with a passion to contribute towards further improvements and to ensure timely maintenance of the current assets.
I hope the family welcomes me and carries me along through my tenure here. I assure to leave good remembrances behind.
Looking for best wishes, a great team work and cooperation from all senior family members.
I shall be available for any suggestions from you at my office in person or email-secretary@calcuttaswimmingclub.com/ mobile No. 8584096181.
Jai Hind
Yours truly
Colonel M Sanjeev (Veteran)
CEO & Secretary
| Mr. Anirudha Agarwalla | Mr. Dipak Kumar Agarwala |
| Mr. Rishi Bajoria | Mr. Deepak Chaudhary |
| Mr. Aditya Karwa | Mr. Vivek Mahansaria |
| Mr. Pradeep Lal Mehta | Mr. Ronak Mehta |
| Mr. Mahesh Punjabi | Mr. Rahul Singhi |
| Mr. Kanan Tondon | Mr R K Tripathi – Rep. Lessor Governor |
| Portfolio | Chairperson/Responsibility | |
|---|---|---|
| The President's Advisory Board | Mr. Gaurav Chokhany (Chairman Advisory Board) | |
| -do- | Mr. Kanan Tondon (Member Advisory Board) | |
| -do- | Mr. Mahesh Punjabi (Member Advisory Board) | |
| -do- | Mr. Pradeep Lal Mehta (Member Advisory Board) | |
| -do- | Mr. Dipak Kumar Agarwala (Member Advisory Board) |
| Portfolio | Chairperson/Responsibility | |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Catering | Mr. Aditya Karwa | |
| Finance | Mr. Rishi Bajoria | |
| IT | Mr. Ronak Mehta | |
| Member's Correspondence / Legal | Mr. Anirudha Agarwalla | |
| Renovation | Mr. Deepak Chaudhary | |
| Sports | Mr. Rahul Singhi | |
| Bar | Mr. Vivek Mahansaria | |
| Ladies Wing | Ms. Meghna Chokhany | |
| Any other Portfolio/Field NOT mentioned above | The President's Advisory Board |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1923 | N. Hamilton |
| 1924 | N. Hamilton |
| 1925 | W. Fullerton |
| 1926 | N. Hamilton |
| 1927 | E. Muir |
| 1928 | B. Severs |
| 1929 | E. Muir |
| 1930 | E. Muir |
| 1931 | T. H. Elderton |
| 1932 | J. S. Henderson |
| 1933 | E. Muri |
| 1934 | J. Lees |
| 1935 | D. P. Malcolm |
| 1936 | T. H. Elderton |
| 1937 | J. H. Guthrie |
| 1938 | A. B. Mallett |
| 1939 | A. Gemmell OBE |
| 1940 | T. King |
| 1941 | W. L. Gordon |
| 1942 | N. W. Chisholm |
| 1943 | O. Godding |
| 1944 | O. Godding |
| 1945 | A. S. Gillies |
| 1946 | F. J. Rasmussen MBE |
| 1947 | B.A. Anstey |
| 1948 | T. King |
| 1949 | E. H. Rabey |
| 1950 | J. J. N. Birch |
| 1951 | B. W. Palmer |
| 1952 | B. Gill |
| 1953 | T. King |
| 1954 | W. E. Bell |
| 1955 | J. Buchanan |
| 1956 | H. J. Godwin |
| 1957 | T. K. Walshaw |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1958 | N. Hamilton |
| 1959 | N. Hamilton |
| 1960 | W. J. Woodhouse DFC |
| 1961 | T. C. Perry |
| 1962 | J. Graham |
| 1963 | A. G. M. Twining |
| 1964 | E. C. Hayworth |
| 1965 | R. R. Hill |
| 1966 | A. D. Moodie |
| 1967 | K. S. Whitehouse |
| 1968 | H. Rudkin |
| 1969 | H. L. Barham GM |
| 1970 | G. J. Whiteparsons |
| 1971 | M. L. Greenberg |
| 1972 | E. Maurice |
| 1973 | R. N. Gray |
| 1974 | R. N. Gray |
| 1975 | E. Maurice |
| 1976 | P. T. Basu |
| 1977 | A. W. Turner |
| 1978 | P. T. Basu |
| 1979 | A. J. Suralya |
| 1980 | A. J. Suralya |
| 1981 | A. K. Hirjee |
| 1982 | A. K. Hirjee |
| 1983 | P. N. Roy |
| 1984 | P. N. Roy |
| 1985 | N. G. Khaitan |
| 1986 | M. P. Jalan |
| 1987 | M. P. Jalan |
| 1988 | R. N. Dey |
| 1989 | Lalji Mehrotra |
| 1990 | A. B. Ajmera |
| 1991 | D. S. Jain |
| 1992 | L. G. Daswani |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1993 | G. D. Binnany |
| 1994 | P. K. Jalan |
| 1995 | A. P. Chawla |
| 1996 | A. K. Roy |
| 1997 | K. K. Mimani |
| 1998 | P. D. Tulsyan |
| 1999 | C.A. Doshi |
| 2000 | Anjan Ghosh |
| 2001 | H. A. Ajmera |
| 2002 | Manoj Bhagat |
| 2003 | Nandu K. Belani |
| 2004 | Binod Khattry |
| 2005 | Ravi Todi |
| 2006 | Anand Chopra |
| 2007 | Anand Chopra |
| 2008 | Gopal Prasad Chokhany |
| 2009 | Bal Binode Bajoria |
| 2010 | Anup Sharda |
| 2011 | M. L. Mall |
| 2012 | Ashish C Doshi |
| 2013 | Prashant D Binnany |
| 2014 | Ketan Shanghavi |
| 2015 | Binod C Kankaria |
| 2016 | Kamal Bhandari |
| 2017 | Anil Choudhury |
| 2018 | Sunil Daswani |
| 2019 | Jai Surana |
| 2020 | Alok Sethia |
| 2021 | Dr. Naresh Goyal |
| 2022 | Nitin C Dani |
| 2023 | Siddharth Jhunjhunwala |
Showers are provided in the Change Rooms and all bathers must use these before entering the Swimming Pools. Changing of clothes other than in the Change Rooms is not permitted.
Bathing Costumes and Caps. All Members must wear only such conventional bathing costumes as are generally accepted in use and approved by the Committee. Members, guests and children with long hair must wear bathing caps.
Minimum Dress Requirement. Members and their guests are required to maintain an appropriate standard of dress on all occasions and as per the minimum dress standards as specified by the Committee, from time to time. At present, these are:
Dogs and Other Pets. No dogs or other pets shall be brought inside the Club buildings and compound. Nor shall vagrant animals and birds be fed on the premises.
The parking space in the club compound is reserved for owner-driven cars with club stickers only. Cars with drivers should be parked outside the club compound. Members can also avail paid Valet parking services.
No member may monopolise the services of any bearer or other employee of the club. Any complaints should be referred to the Secretary or the Committee. Tipping by Members is strictly prohibited.
Children under the age of 12 years must not remain in the club premises after 10:00PM. They must not remain in the outside pool after 7.00PM and inside pool after 8.00PM and they must leave the Dining Hall by 10:00pm . They can however be in the club on special occasions / events / programmes. On normal days, if children are found in the Club premises after 10:00 PM, they may be asked to leave the club premises.
6AM to 11PM (The Club committee shall have discretion to extend hours)
Guests may be brought into to the Club, subject to certain stipulations / norms, the details of which may be collected from the Secretary or Club office. Maximum Eight guests are permitted per Members.
Mobile phones should be kept on silent mode and not to be used for talking inside Bars and the Dining Hall.
The Club does not accept any responsibility for the loss of Member’s property or of the property of their guests, whilst in the Club’s Lockers, and no claim for such loss can be entertained by the Club. Members depositing articles do so at their own risk and responsibility. The monthly rates shall be fixed by the Committee from time to time, which will be payable in advance.
A book in which Members may enter any complaints or suggestions, shall be kept in the Secretary’s Office and not removed therefrom.
Only one person may at a time, use or be on any one springboard. Children are forbidden to play on diving stages or on the ladders leading to them.
Members and their guests must not use the swimming pools if suffering from skin diseases (including severe cases of prickly heat) or any other infectious diseases.
Alcoholic beverages will not be served, to or consumed in the Club premises by any person under the age of 21 years. Persons under the age of 18 years will not be permitted to enter the Bars. Excise Regulations of the State of West Bengal, in vogue, shall be abided by.
Children under 2 years must not be taken into the Pools, not even into the Paddling Pool.
No baby or infant carriages may be brought into the club except the small folding push chairs.
No Member or guest shall bring into the Club any food or refreshment for consumption in the Club premises. Anyone found infringing this Bye-Law will be liable to Suspension or Expulsion according to Rule 22.
Hiring of Club premises may only be arranged through a Club Member provided approval of the Committee is forthcoming and, on the understanding, that the Member concerned accepts all liabilities for payment of bills resulting from the hiring.
Damage to Club Property by Members, their Family or their Guests. Wilful damage to Club Property will result in the imposition of a fine by the Committee on the responsible Member not exceeding six times the cost of replacement or repairs. Parents will be deemed responsible for any such damage caused by their children. Members will be deemed responsible for any such damage caused by their guests
The above information is indicative only and gives an overview of the Club rules and regulations. Members are however requested to check with the Club Secretary / Office to get more specific details about the decorum that needs to be maintained whilst inside the club premises – either alone, with family, or guests. Members are also requested to check for the modified timings of bars and other facilities which have been extended over the last couple of months.