Chandigarh - a city of Charming Contrast; a pulsating modern town famous for its architecture and landscape. “Chandigarh” derives its name from the temple of “Chandi” located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity ‘Chandi’, the goddess of power and a fort or ‘garh’ lying beyond the temple gave the city its name. Chandigarh was constituted a Union Territory of India on 1st November 1966.

It is the first planned city of India designed by Le Corbusier, an eminent architect and urban theorist. The city’s pollution-free air, the short distance, the wide tree lined boulevards and avenues, lakes all contribute to making Chandigarh a charming place for residents and visitors. Chandigarh has the distinction of having a unique world-acclaimed Rock Garden constructed by Nek Chand.

The diverse population of this territory has made this city a lively and cosmopolitan city. Today this city has become one of the IT destinations in India. The Nehruvian idealism at its core is in stark contrast to the industrial development on the outskirts.

History
Chandigarh has a pre-historic past. The sloping plains on which modern Chandigarh city exists, was in the ancient past, a wide lake ringed by a marsh. The fossils excavated from the site indicate a large variety of aquatic and amphibian life which was supported by that environment. About 8000 years back the area was inhabited by the Harappans.

The history of modern Chandigarh is not very old. The place was in the province of Punjab with its capital at Lahore. But due to the division of India and Pakistan in the year 1947, Lahore came in the side of Pakistan leaving Punjab without having a capital. To fill up this vacancy the government of India decided to construct a new capital in the year 1948. An area of 114.59 sq. km was approved at the foot of the Shivalic hills in Ropar district. An existing village gave its name to the new capital. The name is derived from two words i.e. Chandi-Goddess of power and Garh-Fortress. The then prime minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru supported the project and took interests in its execution. The Swiss-French architect Charles Edouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier) was the creator of the city.

This is India’s cleanest city and perhaps Le Corbusier’s lasting legacy. In March, 1948, the Government of Punjab, in consultation with the Government of India, approved a 114.59 sq. kms of land at the foothills of the Shivaliks as the site for the new capital. The location of the city site was a part of the erstwhile Ambala district as per the 1892-93 gazetteer of District Ambala. The site was selected by Dr.M. S. Randhawa, the then Deputy Commissioner of Ambala.

The city has a unique distinction of being the capital of both, Punjab and Haryana while it itself was declared as a Union Territory and under the direct control of the Central Government. Chandigarh was due to be transferred to Punjab by an agreement signed in August 1985 by Late Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime minister of India, with Sant Harchand Singh Longowal of the Akali Dal. But the transfer has been delayed due to a pending agreement that should be made to offer a district of Punjab to Haryana in exchange.

Parks and Gardens
Rock Garden:
This unique sculpture garden was created by the city's internationally acclaimed artist Nek Chand and spreads over an area of 64 acres. The visual delights and the strange history of Rock Garden has charmed millions of visitors. It was first opened to the public in 1976. Nek Chand began to transform a dump of discarded building materials into a Rock Garden. He was a road inspector of the city’s Public Works Department. He kept the garden a closely guarded secret.....never suspecting that one day critics would praise his unique works and he would exhibit them in Paris's Museum of Modern Art and in other cities around the world.

Vashisht Hot Sulphur Spring:
About 3.2 km away from Manali bus stand across the Beas river situated at an altitude of 1982 m (6200 ft), just down below the temple are hot Sulphur Springs named as Vashisht. Nearby is a pyramidal stone temple dedicated to Vashistha.

Zakir Rose Garden:
This garden was created in 1967 under the expert guidance of Dr M.S. Randhawa, Chandigarh's first Chief Commissioner and is named after India's President, Zakir Hussain. This is the largest Rose Garden in Asia and is spread over an area of 27 acres. 17,000 plants representing some 1,600 varieties of roses as well as several fountains can be seen here. The annual Rose festival, an event listed on the national calendar of fairs and festivals is celebrated here. This is one of the main cultural events of the city and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the country. The Zakir Rose Garden opens on all days.

Bougainvillea Garden:
The garden is devoted to hundreds of bougainvillea varieties. The creepers cover a wide assortment of arches, bowers, pavilions and arcades. Fitness Trails wind through this garden, designed to give each person who completes the route a complete exercise regimen by the time they reach the end. The annual Bougainvillea Show is held here. It is open on all days and is spread over twenty acres in sector 10.

Children's Traffic Park:
This park has been designed for children, keeping in mind safety from speeding traffic and is used by them to learn cycling and road safety. Concrete paths are laid out through out the park to form "roads and intersections" and are furnished with all sorts of road signs. It is open on all days. The 12 ½ acre park also contains an exhibition Hall and Lecture cum Cinema hall that offers popular shows to the children visiting the park.

Sukhna Lake:
A man-made lake spread over an area of 3 square kilometers is located on the northern border of the city. At the entrance to the park one reads Corbusier's Edict of the Lake. “The founders of Chandigarh have offered this lake and dam to the citizens of the new city so that they may escape the humdrum of the city life and enjoy the beauty of nature in peace and silence”.

The tree lined shady promenade around the lake is a favorite spot to stroll and enjoy the tranquil ambience. Paddle-boats and yachting are another pleasant diversion. One may simply relax at the cafe run by the Chandigarh Tourism Development Corporation.

How to Reach There
By Air : A man-made lake spread over an area of 3 square kilometers is located on the northern border of the city. At the entrance to the park one reads Corbusier's Edict of the Lake. “The founders of Chandigarh have offered this lake and dam to the citizens of the new city so that they may escape the humdrum of the city life and enjoy the beauty of nature in peace and silence”. The tree lined shady promenade around the lake is a favorite spot to stroll and enjoy the tranquil ambience. Paddle-boats and yachting are another pleasant diversion. One may simply relax at the cafe run by the Chandigarh Tourism Development Corporation.

By Rail : Chandigarh is also an important railway station located at a distance of 8 km from the city centre. The twice daily Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and Himalayan Queen connect New Delhi and Chandigarh. Paschim Express connects the city to Mumbai, Sadbhavna to Lucknow, Kerala Sampark Kranti to Kerala and Chennai Express to Chennai.

By Road : Chandigarh is also connected by state and national highways. National Highway No.22 and 21 passes through Chandigarh. Government and private buses ply regularly to/from Chandigarh.