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Chandigarh
is the twin capital of the northern states of Punjab and Haryana.
However, it belongs to neither state. It is a union territory
and is directly under the administration of the Indian government.
It is one of the youngest cities in India and the main languages
spoken are Hindi and Punjabi.
The town derives its name from Goddess Chandi Devi whose temple
stands 15 km form Chandigarh.
One of the few modern planned cities in India, Chandigarh is
divided into 47 self-contained sectors. Architects Albert Mayer
and Mathew Novicki drew the initial plans in New York. When
the latter died in an air crash in 1950, the work was entrusted
to Le Corbusier, a well-known architect and planner.
One can see architectural genius in the neat geometrical design
of residential quarters, reinforced concrete structures and
self-contained area layouts. Each sector of the city is designed
with its own shops, academic, and health care buildings, places
of worship, open spaces, greenery and the residential areas.
The city is divided into four major work areas. In the north,
the capital complex, consisting of the Secretariat, Legislative
Assembly and High Court, with the hills as a background dominating
the city. Sector 17, which is the city and district centre,
housing the administrative and state government offices, shopping
malls, banks and other offices. The west contains the university,
and institutions of engineering, architecture, Asian studies
and medicine. Finally the east zone, which is the industrial
area of the city.
Population : About 1 million
Climate : Summers are very hot. A good time to visit
is after the rains, from September to November. Winters in Chandigarh
can be quite cold, and days are crisp, smog-free and clear.
Sunny winter afternoons are delightful and early mornings are
chilly, as are the nights.
Best times to visit : Between September and February.
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| Places of Interest
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Open Hand
Monument
The Open Hand Monument, a symbol of harmony and peace, is situated
in Sector 1 along the main road leading into the city. The first
thing you'll notice as you are the waist-high wicker fence which
says 'for hon'ble judges only'. The best time to visit the Open
Hand Monument in the early evening.There is no entrance fee
to the monument grounds. The monument is itself at a large distance
away from the gate. It almost looks like a bird, slowly rotating
on rusted bearings. It is, in fact, a large, open, metal hand
pointed skyward. Some locals believe that the hand is supposed
to represent the map of Haryana. The base of the monument, which
supports the shaft and hand, has been fashioned out of a large,
solid chunk of iron sunk several meters into the ground. The
metal monument is 14 meters high and weighs 50 tons. The amazing
thing about this monument is that it still rotates smoothly
about its bearings.
Nek Chand's Rock Garden
This Rock Garden is probably Chandigarh's premier attraction,
a popular spot for tourists. It was created by Nek Chand Saini,
a resident of the city, in 1958. He used discarded objects of
everyday use like bottles, tin cans, broken plugs, plates, saucers
and rocks from the nearby Shivalik mountains to create a 40-acre
fantasy labyrinth garden with arched walkways, streams, bridges,
grottos, battlements, turrets and sculptures of people and animals.
Highlights include armies of stone ducks, papier-mache soldiers,
pig iron dancers and goblins. The park is open daily from April
to September between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Between
October and March, it is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to
6 p.m.
Sukhna lake
Also in Sector 1, the Sukhna Lake is an artificial reservoir.
A popular place to hang out, one can expect to find residents
of the city jogging or strolling along the banks. There is a
walking path, a cafeteria, shops and a mini-amusement park and
paddleboats. The Sukhna Lake was created in 1958 by damming
the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream that flows down from the
Shivaliks. Storks and cranes make migratory stops at the lake.
The lake, incidentally, has Asia's longest water channel for
rowing and yachting.
Capital Complex
This area, with its monumental public buildings is the site
of architect Le Corbusier's most ambitious experiments. The
concrete campus and its accompanying lawns are meant to express
the strength and unity of independent India. They are also Le
Corbusier's way of staging the functions of government in symbolic
and geometric relation to one another and to the rest of the
city. For tourists, the High Court and the Open Hand Monument
are more accessible than the Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat.
Leisure Valley
The linear Leisure Valley was sculpted from a dried riverbed.
It is over 8 km long and runs through most of Chandigarh. The
valley consists of several segments, each with its own theme.
Flower gardens, jogging tracks and tennis courts dot the trail.
There's even an open-air theatre and a sculpture park in the
sector 10 section of the Valley.
Government Museum and Art Gallery
One of three museums clustered in Sector 10, the Government
Museum and Art Gallery contains a modest collection of Indian
stone sculptures, miniature paintings and modern art. The miniature
paintings belong to the Mughal, Rajasthani and Kangra schools
of art while the sculptures are from the Gandharva school of
art.
National Gallery of Portraits
Nrityagram
Located in sector 17 B, this gallery was inaugurated in September
1977. It is filled with portraits of Indian freedom fighters,
rare documents and recordings of the voices of prominent figures
of India's Independence movement. The gallery also contains
photographs and facsimiles of original writings, sculptures
and ceramic murals.
Punjab Kala Kendra
The Punjab Kala Kendra is the office of the Punjab Arts Council
(Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi). Exhibitions are frequently organized
in its large galleries and the Council's permanent collection
of contemporary art is also on display here.
Museum of the Evolution of Life (Science Museum)
Inaugurated on 14 August 1973, this museum is famous for a large
gallery that depicts the origin of the earth and the evolution
of life. Other galleries introduce the viewer to astronomy,
geology and the world of ancient man. International Dolls Museum
Situated in Bal Bhawan, Sector 23, the international dolls museum
contains more than 300 dolls from nearly every country in the
world. Ten ceramic murals and a large model train complete the
display.
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| Special Festivals |
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The Festival
of Gardens
This is a three-day extravaganza, organized in the last week
of February. Known earlier as Rose Festival, it was intended
to encourage people to walk through the Rose Garden and enjoy
the beauty of roses. The festival features performances of music
and dance, both classical and folk, flower shows, events for
children, exhibitions by local artists, photographers and craftsman
and a wide range of other activities.
April Fools' Day
This is a unique gathering of various poets from all over the
country at Chandigarh. Even those who do not ordinarily enjoy
poetry look forward to the 'Maha Moorkh Sammelan', or 'Conclave
of Colossal Fools'. Chandigarh is the only city in India that
hosts such a gathering.
Baisakhi
This is the first day of the New Year in the traditional calendar.
It celebrates the wheat harvest, and is one of the main festivals
for the Sikh community. As the capital of two states, Punjab
and Haryana, this day sees festivities organized by both the
state governments as well as the Administration of the UT, and
by all the residents.
The Mango Festival
In June, mango growers from all over India are invited to enter
their prize fruits in the various competitions. Visitors to
the fair can see and taste all the traditional varieties of
the fruit as well as the latest hybrids from the agricultural
universities. It is also an occasion for agro-industries, and
food industries processing mangoes into jams, pickles and canned
fruit to display their products.
Teej
Held in the first week of August, this traditional festival
is celebrated by women only. The Rock Garden with its swings
and pavilions is the venue for the festivities and the day is
basically a grand picnic with songs and dances, purchase of
new bangles and painting of hands with 'mehandi'. |
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| How to get there |
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By Road
: Chandigarh is well-connected by road from Delhi, 265 kms,
and other major North Indian cities. It also serves as a gateway
for the North Himalayan hill stations of Shimla and Kullu/Manali.
By Air : Indian Airlines and Jet Airways connect Chandigarh
to Delhi and Amritsar with regular flights.
By Rail : Chandigarh is well linked with its principal
gateway city, Delhi, by frequent super fast trains. |
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