Area : 144 Sq. kms
Altitude : 308.8 to 365.78 Metres
Best Season : October to March
In 1947 when Lahore Punjab’s former capital was allocated to
Pakisthan the Indian government decided to build a new capital for
the Indian state of the Punjab. The result is Chandigarh. It is on
the edge of the Shivalik Hills the outermost edge of the Himalaya.
Chandigarh derives its name from Goddess Chandi Devi whose temple
stands 15 kms away from the town. It is a new town designed and
built in the early 1950 by the world famous French architect, Le
Corbusier Chandigarh was accorded the status of a Union Territory in
1966 and has been the joint capital of the states of Punjab and
Haryana. Indians are very proud of it and it would have to be one of
the cleanest and healthiest cities in the country.
Places of attraction
The Capitol Complex: Located at the northern end of Chandigarh, the
Capital Complex contains architectural building surpassing any of Le Corbusier’s previous works. These buildings are the High Court, the
Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly. The roof garden at the top
of the Secretariat Yields an excellent view over Chandigarh. Nearby
is a huge, revolving open-hand sculpture, conceived as a symbol of
unity, and the colourful High Court with its double roof. In the
same sector is the Open Hand Monument. The geometrical hill nearby,
known as the tower of Shadows, was designed to beautify the complex,
breaking its symmetrical lines.
Capitol Piazza: This piazza contains attractive structures,
including the Tower of Shadows and the Open-Hand Monument.
Rock Garden: Located on the city’s northern end is the famous
fantasy garden created by Nek Chand. This open- air museum houses
art objects fashioned from urban and industrial waste, such as
pieces of chinaware, fused tube lights, broken bangles, stones,
pebbles and coal slag.
Leisure Valley: Stretching through the heart of Chandigarh, this is
8 kms. long parkland, which is a continuum of various theme gardens,
such as the Bogainvillaea park, the “ Garden of Tranquility” and the
Rose Garden with rose plants of nearly 1600 varieties. The Rose
garden is claimed to be the biggest in Asia and contains more than
one thousand varieties of roses.
Sukhna Lake: To the southeast of the Nek Chand Rock Garden is the
artificial Sukhana Lake. Located at the northern end of the city,
Sukhna is a rain-fed Lake. Here you can rent rowboats or stroll
around its 2 kms perimeter.
Punjab University: The sprawling campus of the Punjab University
with the Gandhi Bhavan and a Fine Arts Museum is located at the
northwestern edge of the city. All the faculties of the University
are in Gandhi Bhavan, S14; the university specializes in Gandhi
studies.
National Gallery of Portraits: It is in the Central Library
Building, S17.
The Government Museum and Art Gallery: The museum contains an
extensive range of contemporary paintings and sculptures. It boasts
of a rare collection of old miniature paintings belonging to the Kangra, Rajasthan and Mughal School together with some miniature
paintings some modest collection of Indian stone sculptures dating
back to the Gandhara period. Timings: 10a am to 4.30 pm (Closed on
Mondays).
City museum: This adjacent museum gives an excellent rundown of the
planning development and architecture of Chandigarh.
International Dolls Museum: It is in BAL Bhavan, S23. Closed Sunday.
There are 75 dolls and puppets from 25 countries in this museum.
Museum of Evolution of Life: It offers a unique cyclorama about the
evolution of the human species through archaeological finds,
sculptures, paintings, and artifacts.It covers the evolution of life
on earth, and displays fossils and implements of prehistoric humans
found in India. The exhibits cover 5,000 years from the Indus Valley
Civilization to the present day. Timing: 10 am to 4.30 pm, closed
Monday.
Local festivals
All the Hindu festivals are celebrated especially Baisakhi
celebrated by both Hindu and Sikhs as New Year’s Day (13 April).
Bhangra dancers perform with great enthusiasm.
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