Chandigarh, the capital city shared between the two north Indian states of
Punjab and Haryana is built to the blueprint of a prosperous, modern India
and famed for it’s neatly laid out residential blocks, grid-planned
roads and numerous gardens. Originally designed for a population of just half
a million, the city is located between two seasonal streams, the Patiala ki
Rao and the Sukhna Choe. The Shivalik range forms a spectacular backdrop to
the city.
Though Haryana was promised a separate capital city, so far both the administrations
continue to function from Chandigarh. Over the past 40 years, the city has
grown substantially, with land prices shooting up fast. Though frequented
mostly by visitors en route to the hill state of Himachal Pradesh or other
towns in Punjab, Chandigarh itself has some interesting sites worth visiting.
The city also has many critics, who dub it a concrete jungle with huge building
blocks unsuited to Indian weather conditions. However, it certainly is a landmark
in modern town planning, with sprawling boulevards, neatly planned blocks
of houses, green stretches and parklands.
History
Chandigarh gets its name from the early 19th century temple dedicated to Mata
Chandi and a fort (garh, as it is called in Hindi) just behind it.
After the Partition of India in 1947, Indian Punjab needed a new capital city
to replace Lahore, since that was now with Pakistan. The Indian Prime Minister,
Jawaharlal Nehru, decided on a spanking new city to be built from scratch,
since making additions to existing cities was not practicable. Nehru’s
dream was to build a city that would be unfettered by the traditions of the
past, a symbol of the nation's faith in the future. The American architect
and city planner Albert Mayer drew up the master plan but the French town
planner Le Corbusier soon took over, made some changes and executed the project.
He also designed several of the city’s prominent buildings.
Places to See
Capitol Complex
Also referred to as the Temples of Democracy, the High Court, Secretariat
and the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) are all in Sector 1 and designed
by Corbusier making Chandigarh proud. The High Court and can be visited any
time as there are no security restrictions. Its architectural highlights are
the overhanging roof and buttresses. Corbusier has painstakingly designed
an intricate tapestry for every room. For visiting the Secretariat and the
Vidhan Sabha, arm yourself with a permission letter from the Chandigarh Tourist
Centre (1st floor, Sector 17; Tel: 2703839).
Rock Garden
What began as a crazy pastime of a nondescript traffic inspector is today
Chandigarh’s most famous landmark. Inspector Nek Chand has used junk
of every kind, bottles, tiles, tins, pots, stones to build a garden with cobbled
pathways, gazebos, pavilions and even tiny streams and waterfalls. There are
models of dogs, birds, elephants, mythological creatures, again fashioned
from recycled junk. The park is close to the Capitol Complex.
Sukhna Lake
Le Corbusier’s brainchild is this artificial lake, created by damming
the Sukhna Choe, a stream flowing down from the Shivaliks. The lake has boating
facilities. Fringing the lake are gardens, a playground and a restaurant-cum-bar.
Jogging or strolling by the lake is a popular activity. Storks and cranes
make migratory visits to Sukhna.
City Museum
The museum tells you all about the planning and progress of the city. Photos,
letters, models, newspapers, reports and architectural drawings related to
the city’s construction are on display. The museum is open all days
except Mondays and national holidays.
Government Museum and Art Gallery
Set up by M.S. Randhawa, the first Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh, the museum
today has some priceless stone sculptures and miniature paintings, especially
of the Pahari and Kangra schools. The objects d'art in terracotta, ivory,
lacquer, ceramic, and enamel, and phulkari and rumal embroidery make interesting
viewing. The museum is open from 10 am-4.30 pm; Mondays are holidays.
National Gallery of Portraits
A visual narration of the Indian independence movement through photographs
and paintings is what this gallery is all about. It is in Sector 17 and admits
visitors between 10 am-5.30 pm.
Parks and Gardens
Though Bangalore is the official Garden City, Corbusier has laid out enough
gardens in and around Chandigarh to warrant a similar epithet to the city.
The Rose Garden in Sector 16 with its musical fountain, and the multihued
Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3 are among the best.
Zakir Rose Garden
Spread over 27 acres of the green belt, is one of the largest such gardens
in Asia. It has more than 17,000 plants, with 1600 species of roses, other
flowering and medicinal plants and landscaped fountains. In early March, a
Rose festival is held in the garden.
Pinjore (Yadavindra) Gardens
Soft carpet of undulating grass dotted with fountains and pavilions, this
demands a visit. It was originally built in the 17th century by Aurangazeb’s
brother Fidai Khan. Legend has it that the mythological Pandavas stopped here
during their exile. Pinjore is 20 km from the city centre, on the Pinjore-Kalka
Road.
Excursion
There are several interesting spots to visit short distances from Chandigarh,
both in Haryana and Punjab.
Kasauli
About 77 km away this hill station offers a brilliant night view of Chandigarh
Panchkula
The Mansa Devi and Chandi Mandir temples in Panchkula, Haryana are about10
kms from Chandigarh. These ancient temples were pilgrim sites much before
Chandigarh was formed. The Mansa Devi temple also has a garden with sacred
plants.
Morni Hills
45 kms from Chandigarh is a nature park at an altitude of 3,000 feet. It is
a good place for rock climbing and trekking. One can also sight wild deer,
the langur and rhesus monkeys, leopards and peacocks, from which the forest
got its name. There is a small hotel as well as a Forest Department rest house
besides other small lodges within the area.
Pinjore
20 kms from Chandigarh on the route to Kalka, is favoured for its Mughal style
Yadavindra Gardens. The site is associated with the Hindu epic Mahabharata
as one of the spots where the Pandava brothers rested while in exile. Spread
over 100 acres, the gardens have three palaces built in the Mughal and Rajasthani
styles, and numerous fountains and pavilions. The state tourism department
has converted one of the three palaces into a hotel and added an aviary, otter
sanctuary and zoo. The hotel also has inexpensive dormitory accommodation
and a restaurant with bar.
Kurukshetra
The epic battlefield of Kurukshetra is 90 kms from Chandigarh. It is here,
according to the Mahabharata, that the battle between the two clans of Kauravas
and Pandavas was fought. Lord Krishna, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu,
delivered his sermon, the Bhagavat Gita to the Pandava prince Arjun to motivate
him to fight for justice. The Bhagavat Gita is one of the most revered holy
texts of the Hindus, and devout Hindus follow its teachings as a guide to
good living. The site is now marked with a sacred pool and several temples.
Bhakra Nangal
Thecomplex is 116 kms from Chandigarh has one of the highest dams in the world
on the Sutlej River. A major powerhouse that supplies to the northern power
grid, the project has a 40 square kilometre reservoir called the Gobind Sagar,
with restaurant and boating facilities.
Anandpur Sahib
Several Sikh shrines and pilgrimages are located within easy distance of Chandigarh.
Among them, the most important is the Anandpur Sahib 80 kms from Chandigarh
on the road to Manali. The site commemorates the founding of Khalsa sect by
the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Anandpur Sahib is one of five seats of religious
authority or Takhats, and is a fortified town with gates and ramparts.
Fatehgarh Sahib
The other important shrine in Punjab is the Fatehgarh Sahib, in Sirhind 40
kms from Chandigarh. The main Gurudwara commemorates the martyrdom of Guru
Gobind Singh’s young sons, who were walled in on the orders of Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb for not converting to Islam. The Gurudwara Jyot Swarup nearby,
stands on the spot, where the martyrs were cremated.
Sirhind
Was also a strategically important town, being the capital of the Suri Sultans.
The 16th century fort of Sher Shah Suri includes a hammam (Turkish bath),
the Daulat Khana or residence of the rulers and the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of
Mirrors). A part of the ruins have been converted into a Tourist Complex overlooking
a large tank and the Sheesh Mahal. However, most of the complex has been taken
over by the Archaeological Survey and it is better to stay at the Tourist
Complex (Ph: 01763 – 40170) on the main Grand Trunk road.
Patiala
70 kms from Chandigarh is the seat of the princely state of that name. The
city has old Mughal style palaces, forts and gardens. The town is also famous
for its Sports Institute and has a gallery of medals. The rulers of Patiala
were renowned for their ostentatious life-style, and the “Patiala peg”
– an extra large peg of whisky is fabled to have originated in the royal
household. Patiala is also well known for its handcrafted jutties and the
wide-bottomed Patiala salwar.
Roper and Sanghol
Ropar, 45 kms and Sanghol, 40 kms from Chandigarh are two archaeological sites,
which have revealed artefacts from the Indus Valley civilisation up to the
5th century AD. At Sanghol discoveries include 117 Kushana sculptures and
the base of a Buddhist stupa. These two sites are of prime importance in line
with the archaeological sites of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, now in Pakistan.
Chhatbir Zoo
Located at a distance of 20 kms from Chandigarh and 55 kms from Patiala is
the Zoological Park, Chhatbir. The park area is spread over 202 acres of raw
scrubland over River Ghaggar. It houses 52 species of animals including the
royal tiger of Bengal and the Himalayan black bear and 62 species of birds
in a simulated natural habitat. Popular for its Lion Safari, it is the biggest
park of its kind in India. It remains open on all days except Mondays, 26th
Jan, 2nd Oct and 15th of August.
Dining Out
Chandigarh has several pubs, including state tourism outlets serving
beer on tap. Good restaurants are in the city centre at sector 17. The expensive
hotels also have multi-cuisine restaurants and bars. Tehal Singh’s Dhaba
(Sector 22) serves authentic Punjabi khana and its chicken has no competition
in the city. Chana bhatura downed with almond-flavoured milk is a ritual at
Sector 17’s Sindhi Sweets.
The savouries it makes are also worth digging into. Hotel Mountview (Sector
10) and Ghazal and Mehfil (Sector 17) are multicuisine restaurants.
Nightlife
Chandigarh's young hang out until the wee hours of the morning, and the city’s
22 pubs host them most willingly. Most of these are in Sector 17. You could
check out the 24-hour bar at Mountview. Beer lovers prefer Millions Pub and
the English Rose (both in Sector 17). Hot Millions neon-lit dance floor and
dhichak-music will impel you to shake a leg at Aerizzona (sector-9), Copper
Club (Sector-26), Silk Lounge (Sector-8) and Warehouse Night Club, Chimney
Heights.
Shopping
Chandigarh is a city of sprawling malls and only occasionally does one spot
a handicrafts emporium. There is as such no 'traditional' Chandigarhi item
to shop for, but you can browse for the famous curly-toed jootis, embroidered
Punjabi dupattas (stoles) in jewel colours, and woollens.
Good hunting grounds are Phulkari, the Punjab government emporium (SCO 27,
Sector 17E), Black Partridge, the Haryana state emporium (SCO 104-105, Sector
17), Weaver (SCO 18-19, Sector 9D), Handloom Emporium (Sector 17), Leathera
(Sector 17, 22 and 35) and Charma Shilpa (SCF 8, Sector 22 D).
Like every other tourist, keep an evening reserved for the famous Sector 17
shopping area. Lined with shops and restaurants, this is where the young and
trendy live it up.
Visiting
Chandigarh enjoys an extreme climate with hot summers (March to June) and
chilly winters (November to February). The monsoon season, though pleasant
in the evenings, is very humid during the daytime. The best season to visit
Chandigarh is autumn (August to November), when the weather is pleasant, neither
too hot, nor too cold
How to get there
By Air : Chandigarh is served by the national carrier and
is connected with Delhi, Amritsar and Leh. From the airport one can get a
taxi or auto rickshaw to get to your destination in the city. The city centre
is 11 kms away.
By Train : The railway station gets convenient trains from
the plains, but is located away from the city centre. A half-hourly bus service
runs from the station to the city centre, though it may be more convenient
to take a pre-paid auto rickshaw or taxi.
By Road : Chandigarh’s Inter-State Bus Terminus, in
the heart of the city at sector 17, is a busy focal point. Buses coming in
from Delhi, Manali and Shimla also stop at sector 22. Chandigarh is the transit
point for travellers going to Amritsar (6 hours), Pathankot (7 hours), Dharamshala
(10 hours), Shimla (5 hours), Kullu (12 hours) and Manali (10 hours). Delhi
is 248 kms away, taking about 5 hours to reach. One can also drive into Chandigarh
from neighbouring states. The approach roads are all in good condition and
driving can be a pleasant experience.
