Gymkhana

Gymkhana (Hindi: जिमख़ाना, Assamese: জিমখানা, Bengali: জিমখানা, Urdu: جِمخانہ‎, Sindhi: جمخانه‎) is an Indian 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'. Most gymkhanas have a Gymkhana Club associated with them, a term coined during British Raj for gentlemen's club. Gymkhana (Hindi: जिमख़ाना, Assamese: জিমখানা, Bengali: জিমখানা, Urdu: جِمخانہ‎, Sindhi: جمخانه‎) is an Indian 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'. Most gymkhanas have a Gymkhana Club associated with them, a term coined during 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. In English-speaking countries outside the Indian subcontinent, a gymkhana is a multi-game equestrian competition held to display the training and talents of horses and their riders, particularly in speed events. The term is also used as the name of a timed automotive obstacle course, see Gymkhana (motorsport) and Gymkhana (motorcycle). 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. The second element, khānā (ख़ाना) has Indo-Persian or Indo-Arabic origin meaning a place or a compartment. In the Persian (خانه) it's a term for dwelling, house.