Introduction :
Chandigarh, derives its name from a temple
Chandi Mandir in the vicinity of the site
selected for the city (deity Chandi, goddess
of power), and a fort or ‘garh"
beyond the temple, called Chandigarh..
Chandigarh was conceived as the capital of
Punjab, in lieu of the lost capital at Lahore.
But Punjab was divided a second time in 1966,
and Chandigarh is today the capital of the
States of both Punjab and Haryana. However,
the city does not belong to either. Chandigarh
is a Union Territory, administered by the
Government of India.
Chandigarh belongs to its people. They love
the city, and are proud of the quality of
life it continues to provide.
The Planed City :
Planned by the famous French architect Le
Corbusier, Chandigarh was conceived as a city
of Sun, Space and Verdure to fulfill four
basic functions of living, working, circulation,
and care of body and spirit. The master plan
is a checkered mesh of rectangles called sectors,
which are intended to be self-sufficient neighborhood
units, enclosed by fast-moving traffic roads.
In fact, a salient feature of the city plan
is its novel movement system, which has a
hierarchy of streets for different types of
traffic. A number of city parks have been
planned for the care of the body and spirit.
The sun-bathed piazzas of the city, its neat
housing clusters and the broad tree-lined
avenues are visible manifestations of the
planning precepts. No wonder Chandigarh is
often called the City Beautiful or the Garden
City -both fond epithets given to it by its
residents.
Perhaps a major part of the city s modernity
emanates from the fact that there is a very
large body of youthful student population.
The hub of its activities is the beautiful
Panjab University campus with its impressive
red sandstone buildings laid out amid gardens,
water pools, and fountains. The idyllic campus
surroundings inspire academic learning, scholarship
and cultural enrichment. Besides the university,
there are also many other premier institutions
of medicine, engineering, architecture and
science located in the city.
The other dominant species of the city populace
is the Government servant-retired or serving.
With the presence of two State Governments
of Punjab and Haryana, and the third one of
Chandigarh Administration, the city abounds
with babus and bureaucrats and clerks in cars
or on cycles.
Attractions :
In terms of attractions, the first thing that
comes to mind is the monumental Capitol Complex,
which dominates the city skyline. Standing
aloof, like the Greek Acropolis, at the foothills
of the city, the geometrical concrete buildings
rise from the mounds as giant playful sculptures.
The three major buildings comprising the Capitol
Complex are the Secretariat, the Assembly,
and the High Court. All the three are interlocked
to one another as part of a subtle visual
composition, delicately balanced and enclosing
grandiose spaces. Between the silhouettes
of these magnificent edifices is juxtaposed
the city s most popular visible symbol: the
Open Hand. Conspicuous as a giant hand in
steel, it rotates free with the whims of the
winds from a high concrete pedestal, conveying
the message: open to give, open to receive.
Next to the Capitol Complex, the most important
place to visit is Sector 17, its sleek shopping
area and the city center. Planned around four
pedestrian concourses meeting at a central
Chowk, it is a pedestrian s paradise, dotted
with fountains, sculptures, and groves of
tree. In summer one can move from one end
of the sector to the other under the shade
of a corridor, and in winter it is nice to
be out in the sun-drenched piazzas. In the
evenings, when the colorful mosaic of neon
signs and the aesthetically illuminated fountains
come alive, it becomes the city s biggest
outdoor club. And the people congregate there
for the thrill of the urban rub and the excitement
of its shop-front glitter.
A major feature of Chandigarh is its Leisure
Valley, which, like a garland of gardens,
ornaments the city from one end to the other.
A natural eroded valley of the city site with
a small gurgling rivulet has been now developed
into a series of theme gardens. The most famous
of these is the Rose Garden. The other prominent
parks of the city are the Garden of Tranquility,
Garden of Rare Plants, Garden of Annuals,
and the Bougainvillea Garden.
No description of Chandigarh gardens can
be complete without a mention of its most
celebrated creations, The Rock Garden. Spread
over 12 acres of wooded land near the Capitol
Complex of Le Corbusier, it is the creation
of a humble former road inspector: Nek Chand.
Turning urban waste material into creative
patterns and textures, his touch transformed
mute rocks into art objects. Mysterious spaces
with stones, rocks and waterfalls recreate
the awe and wonder of primordial nature. This
unabashed realm of natural and manmade creativity
attracts people of all age groups, and from
all parts of the world.
Another favorite recreation spot of the nature-loving
people of Chandigarh is the Sukhna Lake. Created
by building an artificial dam on a seasonal
stream, it is spread over a large area. A
two-kilometer-long promenade along the lakeshore
is a popular place for strolling. On any day,
early in the morning, fitness buffs of all
age groups can be seen walking, jogging, and
performing yoga or vigorous exercises at the
lakefront.
Fairs And Festivals :
However, it is not bricks, stones and trees
alone that infuse breath into the city s soul.
It is essentially the people and their ethos
that etches the image of a city. Although,
the planning of Chandigarh was not intended
to be a social revolution, it has nevertheless
shaped the psyche of its people-who are more
secular, integrated and modern in their outlook.
They are also fiercely proud and possessive
of their city.
Lacking in age-old cultural traditions of
a typical town, Chandigarh has acquired new
ones to its calendar of activities. People
celebrate spring festivals, tree plantation
festivals, rose and chrysanthemum shows, dog
shows and kite-flying festivals with as much
gaiety and zest as they celebrate Diwali,
Holi or any other religious function. Chandigarh
citizens are also a very culturally conscious.
For a small city of its size, there are more
than five major auditoriums and a same number
of art galleries. Even more and bigger cultural
centers are being planned to be built to cater
to the growing demands of art and theater
lovers. In autumn and winter when the sun
is mellow, on a single day there can be a
good number of art exhibitions and concrete
openings in the city. It is usual for the
city elite to be seen and to see such occasions
as an important status symbol.
In the final analysis, what makes Chandigarh
extraordinary is the fact that merely within
four decades a barren landscape has been transformed
into a modern and model human habitation.
The making of a new city is like inventing
a new tomorrow. And Chandigarh succeeds in
ushering in a new dawn.
Paces Nearby :
A visit to Chandigarh is not complete without
a visit to the temple of Goddess Chandi, which
is located in Panchkula, 10 km away from Chandigarh.
In fact, the name Chandigarh is derived from
this temple. Nearby is the temple of Mansa
Devi. Both the temples are built in the North
Indian style of architecture. Moreover, there
is the Panchkula Cactus and Succulent Botanical
Garden, which houses over 2,500 varieties
of cacti and other succulent plants from all
parts of the world. This is the first and
the only botanical garden where a systematic
and comprehensive collection of Indian species
of cacti is being.
Located on the banks of River Ghaggar, 15
km from the city, the Chattbir Zoo is an ideal
getaway from Chandigarh. The zoo lies on the
Chandigarh-Patiala Road. Besides these, Pinjore
(now Yadavindra Gardens; 20 km), Morni Hills
(45 km), Kasauli (77 km), Chail (107 km),
and Shimla (110 km) are some of the interesting
places to visit around Chandigarh.
Area: 69.63 sq km
Population: 5,10,565
Languages Spoken: Punjabi, Hindi, English
Religion: Hinduism (74.61%), Sikhism (19.78%),
Others (5.61%)
Maximum Temperature: 42.40 C
Minimum Temperature: 3.40 C
STD Code : 0172
How To Reach :
By Air
Chandigarh is connected to Delhi (daily) and
Amritsar (bi-weekly) by flights of Indian
Airlines. There is also a weekly flight to
Leh from Chandigarh. Jet Airways has daily
flights to Chandigarh from Delhi. The airport
is 11 km away from the main city. Taxis and
auto-rickshaws are readily available for the
airport.
By Rail
The railway station is 7 km away from the
city center. It is well connected to the major
cities of India like Delhi (238 km), Bikaner
(575 km), and Jodhpur (827 km).
By Road
Chandigarh is well connected by road to almost
every small and big town in northern India.
Frequent buses ply from Chandigarh to Punjab,
Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, and even Rajasthan. One has a varied
choice that includes luxury buses, ordinary
buses and taxis, all of which are readily
available.
