Gymkhana
Gymkhana (Hindi: जिमख़ाना, Bengali: জিমখানা, Urdu: جِمخانہ) is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word Jamat-khana,[1] is an Indian term which referred to a place of assembly. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held. Most gymkhanas have a Gymkhana Club associated with it, a term coined during British Raj for gentlemen's club.
In India, the term gymkhana is commonly used to refer to a gymnasium. More generally, gymkhana referred (and still 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.
In English-speaking countries, a gymkhana refers to a multi-game equestrian event performed to display the training and talents of horses and their riders. The plot of the children's story "The Mystery of the Invisible Thief" by Enid Blyton begins at a gymkhana held at an English village, testifying to its being a common institution in English society at the time of writing (the 1940s).
The term is also used as the name of a timed automotive obstacle course, see Gymkhana (motorsport) and Gymkhana (motorcycle).
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Etymology [edit]
The first element of gymkhana comes from gend meaning ball in Hindi/Hindustani/Khariboli. This element is distinct from English word gym, short for gymnasium and gymnastics which has Greek and Latin roots.[2] The second element, khānā is Indo-Aryan (ख़ाना) for place or compartment and Persian (خانه) term for dwelling, house.[3]
Types of events [edit]
The main events of equestrian gymkhana include barrel racing, pole bending, flag race, key hole, and stake race. Some organizations even include ride and run, musical mats, egg stomp, $5 bill race, and sack race. All of these events challenge the horses and riders ability to work together, and demonstrate many skills such as speed, flying lead changes, sliding stops and more. It is suitable for all ages of people including the very young and very old.
Austin, Texas [edit]
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This article appears to be written like an advertisement. (May 2013) |
Gymkhanais an end of the year event at Crenshaw Athletic Club where children perform gymnastics routines made up of gymnastics skills that they have been working on in classes during the year. Crenshaws also has Swimkhanawhich is the same as Gymkhanaexcept having the swimming classes perform their swim skills at an end of the year event. These events were first run in 1951 and still run today. www.crenshaws.com
See also [edit]
- Bombay Gymkhana
- Darjeeling Gymkhana
- Delhi Gymkhana
- Hindu Gymkhana
- Jamalpur Gymkhana
- Mauritius Gymkhana
- Karachi Gymkhana Club
- Gymkhana Ground, Rangoon
- Chennai Gymkhana Club
- Nairobi Gymkhana Club
- List of India's gentlemen's clubs
- Jorhat Gymkhana Club
- IISER K Gymkhana
References [edit]
- ^ {http://books.google.com/books?id=LLw9AAAAMAAJ&dq=gymkhana&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q=gymkhana&f=false}
- ^ Oxford Dictionaries Gymnasium etymology
- ^ From Loghat'nāmeh-ye Dehkhoda, Third Edition (Tehran University Press, 2006), quoted from Borhān-e Ghāte' by Dr Mohammad Moin.
External links [edit]
Texts on Wikisource:
- "Gymkhana". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gymkhana". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Texts on Wikisource:
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