Gymkhana (/ˈdʒɪmˈkɑːnə/) (Urdu: جِم خانہ, Sindhi: جمخانه, Hindi: जिमख़ाना, Assamese: জিমখানা, Bengali: জিমখানা) is a British Raj term which originally referred to a place of assembly. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held. "Gymkhana" is an Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Persian word "Jamat-khana".[1] Most gymkhanas have a Gymkhana Club associated with them, a term coined during the British Raj for gentlemen's club.
More generally, gymkhana refers to a social and sporting club in the Indian subcontinent, and in other Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, and Singapore, as well as in East Africa.
- ^ MacMillan, Michael (1895). The Globe Trotter in India Two Hundred Years Ago: And Other Indian Studies. S. Sonnenschein & Company. p. 91.