A club immemorial

The Bolaram Reading Room & Recreation Club is the oldest institution of its kind in the twin cities. Constructed in the year 1892, the building was given as a gift to the people of Bolaram by Late Rao Bahadur Ramani Pulliah. Since then, for the past 121 years, the club has had a chequered career

At its early stages, the building of the club was used and maintained by a few Englishmen, who were stationed at the Military Accounts Office in the area. Later M/s Rao Bahadur, S Venkata Reddy, CS David, A Balakrishniah, SN Laxmiah, MV Elliah and SN Satyanarayana took it up, one after the other, and managed the institution by investing in it. VD Rajalingam, military contractor contributed to the library by providing furniture and whitewashing the place every year.

The yester years of the institution recorded the participation of its members in various literary and sports events. There was a treasure of literary books in the club, comprising of world renowned authors like Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth etc when the first All Hyderabad Library Conference was held. The institution participated in the conference by deputing its members. The institution was also one of the pioneers in promoting games like Ball Badminton and Tennikoit. Over the years, the institution has lost sheen and is in shambles.

S Subrahmaniam, the then Headmaster of Govt High School, Bolaram took keen interest in the welfare of the club. GM Surana, leading industrialist and philanthropist took up complete renovation work of the reading room. It was in a dilapidated condition with leaky roof tops that caused severe damage to the furniture and valuable literature.

Today the institution is 121-years-old. Over the glorious years of its existence, the institution had encouraged many talented amateurs who represented at the State, National and Olympic levels in football, ball-badminton and tennikoit.

PN Satyanarayana, joint secretary, doing yeomen service to the library since 1971 said, “Commemoration of completing hundred years of its glorious existence, the institution conducted celebrations in 1992, by conducting one day tournaments in various games and sports. The object of the celebrations was to rejoice the achievements of the past which will give thrust to younger generations and touphold the honour and values of the institution.”

As a part of social responsibility, Bolaram Reading Room & Recreation Club felicitates sportsmen of repute and fame, and toppers of the SSC students every year from Bolaram area on Independence Day and Republic Day to motivate the young become best academicians and sports personnel. Free karate classes are conducted daily for school children for the past 20 years. They also give the open place for social functions like marriages, birthdays etc at a nominal cost.

G Surender Reddy,president,said “The institution which was known as Victoria Reading Room prior to independence, was renamed subsequently as Bolaram Reading Room & Recreation Club. A logo was designed and released which symbolises the reading and playing activities. In order to promote literary activities, merit awards were instituted for top rankers in SSC Examination for boys and girls of the schools in Bolaram. These awards were instituted in the name of Late Sri VS Subramaniyam, chemistry teacher of Bolaram High School and Late Dr S Rama Krishna Reddy, which would be given year after year out of a special fund created by the institution.”