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An understatement: Hindu Gymkhana is a special building. 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 are a proponent of, once you walk into the Hindu Gymkhana, you cannot help but imbibe the ambience that juxtaposes two worlds - the first quarter of the 20th century with its astounding architecture and modern day Karachi that makes you linger for a while. The former dazzles you with cupolas and domed kiosks and the latter with the hustle and bustle that typifies Karachi's 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 its (government) offices. But our profuse thanks should go to Heritage Foundation which came forward and stopped the disaster, nay catastrophe, from taking place. It was the department of Culture that wrestled it from illegal occupation and planned its renovation into a Museum of Folk Heritage.

At present, 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 have recently learned or what they are 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.

[Source: Karachi Legacies of Empires by Peerzada Salman]

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