The Journey

The Malayalee Club started off as a small meeting place of the Malayalee elite of then city of Madras way back in 1897 on a piece of land of its own. A small Club house was initially constructed where Madras malayalees congregated in the evenings to enjoy each others company to discuss state and social issues to relax with a pack of cards or to enjoy a cup of tea after a day's hard work. As the membership of the club grew so did the activities. To facilitate the conduct of cultural events by troupes brought specially from Kerala, a small stage with an open auditorium was constructed. On non - performance days the open air auditorium doubled as a Tennis or Badminton court... Still later in its Journey, with the club metamorphosing into a family institution, a large ,covered auditorium was constructed. A restaurant serving authentic Kerala cuisine became a major attraction. A spacious, well- stacked library , a comfortable card room and a trendy bar were added on in addition to meeting halls and better laid office area. The Malayalee Club earned the reputation of being a very vibrant and dynamic institution with calendar full of events.

The club has now outgrown all these....

In keeping with its image of pro-active vibrancy, The Malayalee Club embarked on a massive expansion and modernisation programme. Tuning into the changing needs of the current generation of users , it now has a state- of- the- art 700 seater air-conditioned auditorium, 4 conference halls , Party halls a fully equipped health centre , a well stocked bar , a multi- cuisine restaurant, a dance floor club- house with indoor games facilities, a well stocked library with Internet browsing, a spacious basement car- park and luxurious four star grade accommodation for members on transit, members guests and members of affiliated clubs all laid out on 72000 Square feet of floor space.

A true symbol of the heritage of Keralites

The Malayalee Club, Chennai, founded in 1897 by some of the prominent Malayalees of Chennai under the patronage of the Royal Houses of Travancore, Kochi & Kozhikode, is the oldest socio-cultural institution of its kind in India. This institution is not merely a Club, but a true symbol of rich traditions and heritage of Keralites. During its eventful history of completing 125 years in 2022, the Club has had the privilege of playing host to many Malayalees who had gone on to become legends in their lifetime. They consisted of ICS/IAS/IPS officers, administrators, academicians, scholars, film personalities, writers, statesmen and ministers at the Centre and in States. The tradition continues……

Non-resident Malayalees (marunadan Malayalee) in any part of the globe look back to their home state with a fond longing for the traditional life so typical of Kerala. Malayalees living outside the state of Kerala cherish the sense of belonging to an era, a cultural ethos, a tradition that we call our very own. It transcends the myriad man-made distinctions of religion, caste and creed. It is distinctive from the culture and traditions of other states. It evokes in us nostalgic memories of the glories of our State… The land of coconuts… The land of backwaters… The land of Kathakali… God’s gift to mankind… God’s own Country… Kerala !!! The Malayalee Club of Chennai has always been in the forefront of nurturing and promoting the lifestyle and cultural strength of Kerala.

Centenary Celebrations