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.
History of Chandigarh Chandigarh
has become synonymous with a certain kind architecture, alongwith planned
landscaping, not found in other cities of India, and not amenable
to being strait jacketed. And so we begin the story of Chandigarh. Initially
the Government of Punjab approached American town planner Albert Mayer who
along with architect Matthew Nowicki became the key planners for the new
city.
The master plan conceived by them had a
fan-shaped outline filling the site between the two seasonal river-beds.
At the northern edge of the city was the capitol complex against the
panoramic backdrop of the Shivalik hills. The City Centre was sited in the
middle, and two linear parklands ran from the northeast to the southwest.
Mayer sought to create self-sufficient city, restricted in size and
surrounded by green belts. Areas were clearly demarcated for business,
industry and cultural activities.
In August 1950, his
co-planner Nowicki died in a plane crash and Mayer withdrew from the
project. This vision of Chandigarh, contained in the innumerable
conceptual maps on the drawing board together with notes and sketches had to
be translated into brick and mortar. Le Corbusier, eminent architect and
urban theorist, was selected to carry forward this task. He retained many of
the seminal ideas of Mayer and Nowicki, like the basic framework of the
master plan and its components: the Capitol, City Centre, besides the
University, Industrial area, and linear parkland. Even the neighbourhood
unit was retained as the basic module of planning.
However, the
curving outline of Mayer and Nowicki was reorganised into a mesh of
rectangles, and the buildings were characterised by an ‘honesty of
materials’. Exposed brick and boulder stone masonry in its rough form
produced unfinished concrete surfaces, in geometrical structures. This
became the architecture form characteristic of Chandigarh, set amidst
landscaped gardens and parks.
| » Major Attractions of Chandigarh |
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Rock Garden : I
n the city of
Chandigarh , there is a world famous garden called Rock Garden.
Situated in the thick forest area, the garden holds its own charms for the
visitors. It is full of objects built from household and industrial waste.
There are no flowers or plants in this garden.
Sprawling
over several acres of woods in the form of an open-air exhibition hall,
theatre trove and a miniature maze all rolled into one vast fantasyland of
art and landscape. It is without doubt, a tourist spot that is a must on the
itinerary of every visitor to Chandigarh . The city's internationally
acclaimed artist Nek Chand created this unique sculpture garden. Here, the
visitor is led through a maze of paths, chambers and canyons, each
presenting a glimpse of a fantasy world.
An unpretentious
entrance leads to a magnificent, almost surrealist arrangement of rocks,
boulders, broken chinaware, discarded fluorescent tubes, broken and cast
away glass bangles, building waste, coal and clay-all juxtaposed to create a
dream folk world of palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life, women and
temples. The open-air sculptures and concealed gateways separating them are
at places enhanced by a waterfall, pools and an open-air theatre with proper
stage setting where several prestigious performances have been staged.
Sukhna Lake : Sukhna Lake,
the man made
lake is located on the southeastern boundary of the Chandigarh city.
The picturesque Sukhna Lake situated in the foothills of Shivalik range is
an idyllic place for quiet communion with nature and for offering water
sports activities such as boating, yachting, water skiing, etc. The creation
of Lake was one of the greatest gifts from Le Corbusier and P. L. Varma, the
Chief Engineer. To preserve its tranquility, Corbusier insisted that it be
forbidden to motor boats and the top of the promenade prohibited to
vehicular traffic. The lake is a perfect hangout for peaceful, romantic
walks.
| » Places to Stay in Chandigarh |
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Chandigarh's accommodation options include Govt. hotels,
private hotels, guest houses, which are located in and around the place and
are available at resonable prices.
| » How to Get there |
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Air : Indian Airlines flies regularly to
the city from Delhi, Amritsar and Leh.
Rail :
Chandigarh is fairly easy to reach from any city in North India by rail.
The railway station lies 8km southeast of the city centre and is slightly
inconvenient to reach. Chandigarh is linked by train to Delhi, Kalka and
Shimla.
Road : Buses connect Chandigarh to
cities like Amritsar, Dharamshala, Delhi, Jaipur, Manali and Shimla. The
city's bus station is a large, crowded, messy and noisy place that serves as
a major link for Himachal-bound travellers.
Punjab
Travel Tours | Hotels
in Chandigarh
