An unlikely friendship
Despite being from two vastly different cultures, Lord Willingdon, a British Liberal politician, and Bhupinder Singh, the colorful Maharaja of Patiala, shared an unlikely but deep bond. This friendship led to the founding of Mumbai’s iconic Willingdon Sports Club.
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, the 1st Marquess of Willingdon, was appointed ‘Crown Governor of Bombay’ in 1913. In contrast, Bhupinder Singh, ascended the throne of Patiala at the young age of nine and lived a life of great opulence. The two first met aboard the ship that brought Lord Willingdon to Bombay and instantly hit it off.
A colonial slight
One day, Lord Willingdon invited the Maharaja to the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, where he was a patron. Both men were dressed according to the club’s requirements, with the Maharaja in a jeweled turban. However, they were stopped at the entrance due to the club’s ‘No Natives’ policy. Despite Lord Willingdon’s protests, entry was denied.
An infuriated Lord Willingdon decided to take matters into his own hands. A plot of land near the Haji Ali Dargah was acquired to build a new club - complete with a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, restaurants, bars, and an 18-hole golf course.
Retaliating in style
More importantly, this new club would be open to all - Britons and Indians alike. It was one of a kind and the first club in Bombay to welcome Indian members. It quickly became, and remains to this day, a premier institution in the city.
A few years later, the Maharaja of Patiala - a huge patron of cricket - founded the Cricket Club of India in the city, possibly as a response to the discriminatory treatment he had received at the Yacht Club. The club was the first in India to have a stadium with international standard facilities.
Throughout his tenure in India, Lord Willingdon continued to show grace and generosity towards Indians - unlike most of his countrymen. He was the first prominent Briton to formally invite Mahatma Gandhi to the Bombay Government House upon his return from South Africa.
Lord Willingdon would go on to have an illustrious career in India, becoming the Viceroy and Governor-General of India in 1931. But this small anecdote stands out as a heartwarming tale of friendship which rose above discrimination and dogma.
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