My Visual Travel Experience: Chandigarh

I first visited Chandigarh in 1986. I had come to India from Vienna on a three week trip during my winter break from school. As a 13 year old, I felt a real sense of accomplishment because I had traveled all by myself from Vienna to Delhi, with a change-over in Frankfurt! My holiday was equally split between Delhi (where I stayed with my maternal grandmother, and my aunt who had recently lost her husband) and Chandigarh (where I stayed with my maternal aunt, whose husband was Chief Secretary of Punjab back then, so I got to stay in one of those luxurious bungalows with a big lawn in Sector 5, right next to Sukhna Lake). I loved my 10 days in Chandigarh. I would go cycling every day, I would go and play table tennis with my uncle and my cousins at the Lake Club, and I would go to the nearby market and rent an Amitabh Bachchan movie every day. I was a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan's those days, and watching his movies every day was a real treat. My aunt really spoiled me during my trip, and I absolutely loved my stay. My childhood nanny was now working with my aunt as a cook, and she also spoiled me and fed me my favourite things.

During my corporate career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I made half a dozen odd trips to Chandigarh on work. On a couple of occasions, I drove down from Delhi. It was a hassle-free four hour drive, and driving around Chandigarh was a real pleasure, with the city's fast-flowing traffic, and the absence of traffic jams. In 2010, I again went to Chandigarh for a day, just for sight seeing. I enjoyed the city for its wide open spaces, its warm people and its delicious food. Hot Millions (the Chandigarh equivalent of Nirula's, famous for its burgers and pizzas) was a personal favourite. Ghazal, in Sector 17, was another restaurant I really enjoyed, and I relished the restaurant's butter chicken and naan, and its other Punjabi specialities.

Chandigarh is the capital of the two neighbouring north Indian states, Punjab and Haryana. It is also a union territory, so it is governed by the Union Government at the centre. It lies around 260 km north of Delhi. The city has a population of just over 1 million (2011 census). It has one of the highest per capita incomes in India, and is one of the country’s cleanest and greenest cities.

Chandigarh is one of the few planned cities in India, and it was planned and designed by the Swiss-French architect, Le Corbusier. After partition, the western part of Punjab went to Pakistan, and the eastern part went to India. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted a new capital to be designed for East Punjab, and Chandigarh was the result of this. While the city was being planned and designed, Shimla was temporarily the capital. Chandigarh became the capital of East Punjab upon its completion in 1960. In 1966, the state of Haryana was carved out of East Punjab, and the remaining part of the state was renamed Punjab. Chandigarh was designated a Union Territory and it became the capital of both states.

Chandigarh is famous for its urban planning, which includes its greenery, its wide roads, its traffic circles that remove the need for traffic lights, and its grid-like streets, though the city's block-like architecture isn't to everyone's liking. Uttar Marg, Purv Marg, Dakshin Marg and Paschim Marg are four roads that mark out the northern, eastern, southern and western perimeters of the city, and Madhya Marg runs through the city centre. There are many markets scattered across the city, but the main market is the Sector 17 Market, right in the heart of the city, and it is full of shops and restaurants, and other commercial establishments.

Rock Garden is a sculpture garden near Sukhna Lake. It is the creation of Nek Chand, who created the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. It is spread over 40 acres. The sculptures include human and animal figures and are all made from industrial and home waste, including tiles, ceramic pots, bangles, bottles and glasses. The project was kept a secret till 1975, when it was discovered by the authorities. The garden was in danger of being demolished but was saved because of public opinion. In 1976, the garden was opened up to the public.

Figures of women made from bangles, Rock Garden

Figures made from ceramic and tiles, Rock Garden

Figures made from broken ceramic, Rock Garden

Male figures in shorts, Rock Garden

Animal Figures, Rock Garden

Government Museum and Art Gallery was inaugurated in 1968. Its collections were previously housed in the Central Museum, Lahore. After partition, the Central Museum’s collection was divided, with 60% staying in Pakistan and 40% coming to India. Before this museum opened, the collection was kept in Amritsar, then in Shimla and then in Patiala. The museum's collection includes Gandhara sculptures, metal sculptures, stone sculptures, coins, textiles and paintings, including those by noted painter Sobha Singh.

Government Museum and Art Gallery

Sobha Singh's Guru Nanak,
Government Museum and Art Gallery

Sobha Singh's Guru Gobind Singh,
Government Museum and Art Gallery

Ganesha,
Government Museum and Art Gallery

Parvati,
Government Museum and Art Gallery

Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is a botanical garden spread over 30 acres. It has 50,000 rose bushes of 1,600 different species. It also has medicinal plants. Every year in February and March, there is the Rose Festival, which also features food stalls, joyrides and contests involving photography and gardening.

Rose Festival, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden

Red Rose, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden

Open Hand Monument is a metallic sculpture designed by Le Corbusier, and it lies in the Capitol Complex. It is the symbol of the government and it symbolizes "the hand to give and the hand to take". It has a height of 26 meters and rotates in the wind. The Capitol Complex where the monument is situated also houses the Secretariat and the High Court.

Open Hand Monument

Sukhna Lake is an artificial lake in the heart of Chandigarh. It has an area of 3 square km. The lake was created by Le Corbusier. The lake has a Lake Club open to members, and the club has facilities like a swimming pool, tennis, table tennis and a gym. Activities like boating and other water sports are also popular at Sukhna Lake.

Boats at Sukhna Lake

Chandigarh has several top class hotels, including Taj Chandigarh, The Lalit Chandigarh, Hyatt Regency Chandigarh, JW Marriott Chandigarh, Lemon Tree Hotel and Mount View Hotel. Taj Chandigarh is one of the city’s most popular luxury hotels and is situated in Sector 17. It is popular with business and leisure travelers. It has a cafe (Cafe 17), a Chinese restaurant (Black Lotus), an Indian restaurant (Dera) and a bar (Lava Bar).

Taj Chandigarh

Being a modern city, Chandigarh does not have a lot of history behind it, and hence there is not a lot by way of heritage monuments. As a result, it is not on every traveler's list of places to visit. However, it is a pleasant place with a fair number of attractions to make sure visitors are kept happily occupied. It is also one of India's most livable cities. The city has a large number of bureaucrats and it is also a preferred option for many retired people. It is an affluent city, and hence has a lot of world class facilities and infrastructure, including high end retail shops, good hotels, fine dining options, very good hospitals, enviable educational institutions and an airport. If I ever had to live in a non metro location in India, Chandigarh would probably be my first choice.