Overnight in Taj Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. We flew into Chandigarh late afternoon and our driver was there to pick us up. It took an hour to drive from the airport to our Taj Chandigarh hotel. We were surprised to see wide roads and footpaths that were not overrun by shops and parked vehicles. In most cities in India, including some big cities, proper footpaths are few and far between and they are often overrun by hawkers and shops, parked vehicles and even cattle. In some places, they double up as homes for the poor. Even footpaths that exist are often not built to standard or properly maintained.
We checked into our hotel and relaxed for an hour. We found out that one of the attractions we had planned to visit – the Rose Garden was a mere 5 min walk from our hotel.
- Rose Garden
- Rock Garden
- Sukhna Lake
- Garden of Silence
- Capitol Complex
Rose Garden – is a blooming exhibit that showcases around 825 varieties of flowers and 32,500 varieties of trees and medicinal shrubs. Also known as Zakir Hussain Rose Garden after the former president of India, this garden is spread over 30 acres and is decked up with an exquisite variety of flowers making it quite popular among tourists and nature enthusiasts. The best time to visit the Rose Garden, Chandigarh is between the months of February and March as the flowers are in full bloom during this season. It is the largest garden of its kind in Asia and was built in the year 1967.
Since it was end of April when we visited, there were not many roses to see. The garden itself is beautiful and we took a relaxed walk in well maintained paths. There are benches scattered throughout the garden to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. There are some water fountains too.
Rock Garden – Plan on spending 1-2 hours here as there is a lot to see. The Rock Garden is a massive open-air exhibition hall that displays sculptures made from urban and industrial wastes that have been designed and executed by Nek Chand, a former Road Inspector in Chandigarh.
The exhibition area of Rock Garden is divided into three different phases, each with a different type of installations. From terracotta pots, light fixtures, and even broken toilet pots, the creator – Nek Chand has truly redefined art and craft! It was built in 1957 single-handedly by Nek Chand in his spare time and has become a long-standing symbol of imagination and novelty in the city. Having a total of about 5,000 statues within its bounds, the Rock Garden in Chandigarh is a true example of ‘Best From Waste’.
Rock Garden, Sculptures – Nek Chand was a lover of nature and incorporated the natural elements within the rock garden. In some parts he created trees, in others he made animals. There are monkeys, bears, elephants, horses, camels, peacocks and other birds throughout the garden. Reusing materials that were discarded by others was at the core of Nek Chand’s art. These sculptures, for example, show his use of broken glass and bangles. He used this waste material to make the elaborate costume of the female sculptures. The glistening of the glass and the myriad of colours makes them distinct.
Nek Chand worked without formal plans but directed his workers to construct what he described. The heart of the garden are the “great swings”, dozens of swings that hang from huge concrete arches resembling ancient Roman aqueducts.
Sukhna Lake – Nestled at the foot of Shivalik Hills and stretching for a distance of 3 sqkm, Sukhna Lake is a man-made lake created in the year 1958 by damming the seasonal Sukhna Choe (Stream) that flows down the Shivalik Hills. The architect of Chandigarh – India’s first planned city – Le Corbusier claimed that this lake would be the centre of wellness pursuits for the residents.
The promenade along the lake is frequented by walkers and joggers who carry out their exercise regimes here. It also has one of the longest rowing channels in the country that host the Asian Rowing Championships.
Garden of Silence – Situated at one end of Sukhna Lake, Garden of Silence is a meditative space which house a massive idol of Buddha. The garden swears by its name and it offers a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere for meditation amidst lush green surroundings with a beautiful view of the Shivalik Ranges in the backdrop. This place is at the other end of Sukhna Lake and a really peaceful place to be in with no crowd. You can take a walk around this place and there are steps leading up to Sukhna lake promenade.
Capitol Complex – Housing the Legislative Assembly, the Secretariat, the High Court and the Capitol designed by Le Corbusier is another architectural marvel composed of twofold cover, which appears like an overturned umbrella. It is the headquarters of both the Punjab and the Haryana governments.
Could not visit this place as there was high security in this area.
Open Hand Monument – Open Hand Monument is an amazing work of art located at the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh city. The monument is an open hand symbol for the Government of Chandigarh, designed by the famous architect Le Corbusier, which means “the hand to give and the hand to take; peace and prosperity, and the unity of mankind”. It can also rotate with the wind.
Could not visit this place as there was high security in this area.