1.THE CITY BEAUTIFULCHANDIGARH

2. LOCATION 3. FACTS ABOUT CHANDIGARHUnion Territory: ChandigarhCapital: ChandigarhLanguage: PunjabiArea: 114 km2Territory Area Rank: 33Elevation: 350 mPopulation Density: 8400 per km2Website: chandigarh.nic.in 4. THE CITY BEAUTIFUL Chandigarh is the best-planned city inIndia, with architecture which is world-renowned, and a quality of life, which isunparalleled. As the capital of the statesof Punjab and Haryana, and the UnionTerritory of Chandigarh it is a prestigiouscity. The face of modern India,Chandigarh, is the manifestation of adream that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehruenvisaged and Le Corbusier executed. Serenity and a city are two diametricallyopposite concepts, which however, getbelied in the City Beautiful. It is herethat the trees and plants are as much apart of the construction plans as thebuildings and the roads. Indias firstplanned city, is a rich, prosperous, greencity rightly called THE CITYBEAUTIFUL. 5. HERITAGE 6. THE ARCHITECTUREChandigarh is one of the most significanturban planning experiments of the 20thcentury. It is the only one of the numerousurban planning schemes of Le Corbusier, thefamous French architect-planner, to haveactually been executed. Le Corbusier summedup his work on the city in an "edict", a fewpoints summarized here: The city of Chandigarh is planned tohuman scale. Here the radiance of natureand heart are within our reach. This city is composed of sectors. Eachsector is 800 meters by 1,200 meters,enclosed by roads allocated to fastmechanized transport and sealed todirect access from the houses. The central plaza in Sector 17 wasdesigned by Le Corbusier as "PedestriansParadise". No vehicular traffic will bepermitted in the plaza. No personal statues shall be erected inthe city or parks of Chandigarh. The cityis planned to breathe the newsublimated spirit of art. 7. LE CORBUSIER CENTRE The Le Corbusier Centre was set upon October 6, 2008 on the occasion ofthe 121st birth centenary of LeCorbusier, to commemorate andpreserve the work and legacy of LeCorbusier with specific reference to themodern architectural Heritage ofChandigarh. The Centre displays and exhibits the lifeand works of Le Corbusier, so thattourists and future generations may beable to acquaint themselves with therich cultural heritage of the city. LeCorbusier Centre comprises of foursections:1. Museum & display gallery,2. Research, publication, archival anddigital library,3. Administration and4. Souvenir Shop. 8. CAPITOL COMPLEX The Capitol Complex is LeCorbusiers most spectacular work.The magnificent edifices, setagainst the Shivalik peaks, standas massive concrete sculptures,representing the monumentalcharacter authority that thecomplex represents. It is the seat ofthe government of the States ofPunjab and Haryana. It comprisesthree epoch-making master-pieces:the Secretariat, the High Court andthe Legislative Assembly. Separatedby large piazzas, the subtle andmost evocative grouping of thesebuildings is of breath-takingbeauty. And in the centre stands the giantmetallic sculpture of The OpenHand, the official emblem ofChandigarh, signifying the cityscredo of open to give, open toreceive. 9. PINJORE GARDEN Pinjore Gardens (also known as PinjorGardens or Yadavindra Gardens) islocated in Pinjore, Panchkula district inthe Indian state of Haryana. It is anexample of the Mughal Gardens style, andwas built by Patiala Dynasty Rulers. The garden has been laid in seven terraceswith the main gate of the garden openinginto the highest first terrace which has apalace built in RajasthaniMughal style. Itis called the Shish Mahal (palace ofglass), which is adjoined by a romantic"Hawa Mahal" (airy Palace). The secondterrace with arched doorways has the"Rang Mahal" (painted palace). The thirdterrace has cypress trees and flowerbedsleading to dense groves of fruit trees. Thenext terrace has the "Jal Mahal" (palace ofwater) with a square fountain bed and aplatform to relax. Fountains and treegroves are provided in the next terrace. Thelowermost terrace has an open-air theatre,which is designed as a disc-like structure. 10. ROMANCE 11. ROCK GARDEN Chandigarh has the distinction ofhaving a unique world acclaimed RockGarden. It consist of art object,fashioned from industrial and urbanwaste. It nestles amidst 20acres ofwoods in the form of an open airexhibition hall, theatre trove and aminiature maze all rolled into one vastfantasy land of art and landscape. It iswithout doubt, a tourist spot that is amust on the itinerary of visitor toChandigarh. The layout of the garden is based on thefantasy of a lost kingdom. The momentone enters the garden, the smallentrance doors which make the headbow, not only creates an ambience ofroyal, but also impart humbleness. Onehas to pass through a verity of doorways,archways, vestibules, streets and lanesof different scales and dimensions, eachone opening into a new array of displayor courtyards and chambers lending anair of suspense and curiosity at everycorner, at every turn. 12. ROSE GARDENZakir Hussain Rose GardenAsias largest Rose Gardenand is spread over 30 acresof land having over 1600different species or roses.These have been plantedbeautifully carved out lawnsand flowers beds. Everyyear, either at the end ofFebruary or beginning ofMarch, a big festival knownas Rose Festival, iscelebrated at this garden.There are lots ofcompetitions, culturalcelebrations and manyother events. It is indeed abeautiful and a pleasantplace to visit. 13. LEISURE VALLEY A continuum of various theme gardens totake care of the body and spirit of thecity. Le Corbusier retained the erodedvalley of a seasonal rivulet on the originalsite of the City and sculptured it into aLinear park now over 8km long .Itstarts from Sector 1 in the north andleaves Chandigarh at its southern mostedge in sector 53. RAJENDRA PARK, Sector 1 - TheLeisure Valley starts from the RajendraPark. The park is a vast stretch of land ofabout 400 acres abutting the Secretariatbuilding on its eastern side. Le Corbusierhimself designed the landscape schemeof this park .Trees with round canopiesand evergreen foliage have been plantedhere. 14. LEISURE VALLEY SMRITI UPAVAN, Sector 1 - Thisspace has been set aside to allowpeople to plant trees in the memoryof the departed. This is a gardenwhere every tree commemoratesomeone who is no more. It wasformally inaugurated on 14.11.1998by planting a banyan tree in thememory of the first Prime Ministerof India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. BOUGAINVILLEA GARDEN,Sector-3 - It spreads over an area of20 acres. The natural choe runningthrough the valley starts from here.The garden is devoted to hundredsof varieties of bougainvillea. 15. LEISURE VALLEY FITNESS TRAILS, Sector 10 -The Physical Fitness Trails havebeen developed with a view toenjoying physical exercisesamidst the beauty of Nature. It isan ideal place for long walks andphysical workouts. BOTANICAL GARDEN, Sector14 - There are two BotanicalGardens in the city one betweenRock Garden and lake and theother in Punjab University.Another Botanical Garden isbeing developed to about 110acres of land in Sarangpur. 16. LEISURE VALLEY SHANTI KUNJ, Sector16 - ShantiKunj is situated between RoseGarden and Cricket in Sector 16. Thisis a completely noise-free area withnatural undulations. The naturalstream running through this gardendivides the park into five areas. Thefive parts of the garden depictdifferent kinds of trees such asmedicinal plants, vertical shapedtrees, flowering trees, trees for shadeand environmentally suitable areas. TERRACED GARDEN, Sector 33 - Asmall valley running through thelength of the sector has beendeveloped into a Terraced Garden. Itsmain attraction is an illuminatedmusical fountain. 17. LEISURE VALLEY TOPIARY PARK, Sector 35 - It wasopened to the public in 1987. Manyanimal shapes created out ofcreepers and bushes attract childrento this park. A large variety ofornamental plants add to the parkscharm. HIBISCUS GARDEN, Sector 36 - Itcovers an area of 8 acres and about40 different varieties of Hibiscusshrubs have been planted to providecolor throughout the year. GARDEN OF FRAGRANCE, Sector36 - Situated to the south of theHibiscus Garden, it is very popularfor different varieties of aromaticand fragrant plants. The flowerplants like Raat ki Rani, Motia,varieties of Jasmine, Demask Roseand many others cast a pervadingaroma in this part of the LeisureValley. 18. SUKHNA LAKESukhna Lake is an artificial lake at thefoothills of the Himalayas, the ShivalikHills. This 3 km rain fed lake wascreated in 1958 by damming the SukhnaChoe, a seasonal stream coming downfrom the Shivalik Hills. The creation ofthe lake was one of the greatest giftsfrom Le Corbusier and the ChiefEngineer P L Verma to the cityof Chandigarh. To preserve itstranquility Corbusier insisted that it beforbidden to motor boats and the top ofthe dam (promenade) prohibited tovehicular traffic. The lake is fringed by agolf course to the south, and NekChands famous Rock Garden ofChandigarh to its west. Sukhna is asanctuary for many exotic migratorybirds like the Siberian duck, Storks andCranes, during the winter months. 19. ADVENTURE 20. FORESTS Kansal & Nepli : Chandigarh has3245 hectares under forest andmost of it is hilly. The forest areasare mostly around Sukhna Lake,Sukhna Choe and Patiala ki Rao.Near village Kansal on theoutskirts of Chandigarh towardsthe hills is a reserve forest. At ashort distance from Kansal forestis located another reserve forestknown as Nepli. Nepli is a bitmore wild than Kansal. Forest Trek : There are excellentplaces for trekking in the hillsnear Chandigarh. Most of theseroutes are in Himachal Pradeshand Haryana. Some of theprominent trekking routes are :Kalka to Kasauli ( 15km)Jabali to Kasauli (6 km)Morni to Tikar Tal (7km)Morni to Ghagar River (4km)Kasauli to Sabathu (13km) 21. CHHATBIR ZOOAlso known as the MahendraChaudhary Zoological Park, Chhatbirzoo, the distinguished zoologicalgarden is located at a distance of 17km from Chandigarh and 55 km fromPatiala. The zoo sprawls across anexpanse of 202 acres against astunning green backdrop.The main attraction of the Chhatbirzoo Chandigarh is the Royal BengalTiger, which has developed into theperfect point of interest for visiting thezoo. Visitors are taken in a cagedmotor vehicle to the tigers refuge tosavor its attractions. While travelinginside the tigers refuge, the visitorscan enjoy close ups of this magnificentanimal. 22. HILL STATIONS 23. KAUSANI HILL STATION One of the most beautiful hill resortsnear Nainital, Kausani is one of themost scenic places which is everytourists dream destination. Far awayfrom the fast paced life of thescorched plains, Kausani is theidyllic retreat for all you naturelovers, who wish to spend a few daysin the lap of nature. Nestled in the Kumaoun Himalayas,Kausani in Uttaranchal is the nearesthill station to Chandigarh. Locatedat a height of 1890 meters above thesea level, Kausani is surrounded bylush acres of greenery and densewoodlands. During 1929, Mahatma Gandhi spenta few days in Kausani and tocommemorate his memory, theGandhi Ashram has been built here. 24. SOME OTHER PLACES TO SEE Sector 17 Plaza : One of the mostimportant places to visit is Sector 17,Chandigarhs sleek shopping areaand the city centre. Planned aroundfour pedestrian concourses meetingat a central chowk (intersection), theSector 17 of Chandigarh is apedestrians paradise dotted withfountains, sculptures, and groves oftrees. Government Museum and ArtGallery Museum of Evolution of Life The Hidden Valley : The HiddenValley is an Ecotourism campingadventure site in the ShivalikFoothills. It is located near thefamous Mata Jainti Devi Temple inVillage Jainti Majri, Punjab.A great experience of raw nature &countryside life and a good breakfrom the routine city life!! 25. FAIRS AND FESTIVALS 26. BAISAKHI FESTIVAL Baisakhi festival has a lot ofsignificance for people of Punjab.It marks the beginning of harvestseason. It also celebrates thefounding of Khalsa panth.According to the solar calendar,this festivity of merriment falls onthe first day of the Year, which isusually 14th April. Baisakhi festivalin Chandigarh, India is celebratedwith lot of excitement andcheerfulness. Men and womendress up in the best of theirclothing and visit temples andGurudwaras to offer prayers.Special food is prepared at home.Folk dances are performed.Chandigarh Baisakhi festivalcelebration takes place with greatpomp and show. 27. CHANDIGARH CARNIVAL Chandigarh carnival is a three day longmega event that is held every year inthe month of November. It is usuallyhosted at the Leisure valley in Sector10. It is organized by the Chandigarhadministration to promote creativityand talent of the citizens ofChandigarh and adjoining places.Carnival of Chandigarh is celebratedwith fun and frolic. It provides aplatform, especially to children andsenior citizens, to come forward andexhibit their talent. It gives a boost totalented people. Various competitionsare conducted for senior citizens likepainting and clay modeling etc. Pickand drop facilities are provided tosenior citizens, so that they do nothave to face any kind of inconvenience.This event definitely deserves amention, when the talk is about thepopular fairs and festivals ofChandigarh. 28. CHRYSANTHEMUMS SHOW Chrysanthemums Show inChandigarh, India is a veryfamous flower show that ishosted every year at theTerraced garden in Sector 33.This fair is usually held in themonth of December. In theChandigarh Chrysanthemumsflower show; you can finddistinctive varieties of flowers.As a part of this show, variouscompetitions are conductedregarding gardening, in whichmany city gardeners participate.Chrysanthemums Show hasbeen drawing more and morecrowds each year. This flowershow has been increasinglygaining momentum. 29. MANGO FESTIVAL The name mango festival issuggestive of the fact that it is afestivity of mangoes. Mango festivalin Chandigarh is celebrated withsplendid grandeur. It gives aplatform to all mango growers ofour country to display theirvarieties. Also, the agriculturaluniversities participate and exhibitthe latest hybrids of this fruit.Chandigarh mango festival takesplace in the month of June &Pinjore garden usually serves as thevenue. This festivity cum fair gives afabulous opportunity to the foodindustries that process mango intojams, pickles and canned fruit, toshowcase their products. This fair isdrawing more and more crowdsevery year. 30. CUISINES 31. TRADITIONAL FOODS Vegetarian DishesSarson ka Saag (curry of mustardleaves), Dal Makhani/ Dal Handi(curry of pulses), Choley(generally eaten with Naan),Punj Ratani Dal (a mixture of 5lentils), Kadhai Paneer, ShahiPaneer, and Sheer Korma. Non-vegetarian DishesTandoori Chicken, ButterChicken, Bhuna Ghosht (Dishmade of lamb), Kebab, AmritsariFish, Tandoori Fish, Fish Tikka,Chicken Biriyani, Lamb Biriyani,Keema Naans, Reshmi Tikka,Malai Tikka, and Pork Pickle. 32. TRADITIONAL FOODS Bread & Flour PreparationsThere are also a variety of bread andflour preparations consumed inChandigarh. Some of them are Naan,Tandoori Roti, Kulcha, Lachha Paratha,Phulka or Chapatti, Aloo Paratha, MooliParatha, Poori, and Bhatoora. Sweet DishesSeveral sweet items are made by thepeople of Chandigarh, to titillate thetaste buds. The most popular anddistinctive among them is Roh Di Kheer,prepared by cooking rice in sugarcanejuice. Some other popular desserts ofthe area are baalushahi, jalebi andmalpua. Dont forget to taste all of themwhile touring Chandigarh. 33. SHOPPING 34. THINGS TO BUYo Phulkari -Phulkari, a type of craft thatinvolves simple embroidery works withgreat finishing touch is very popular inChandigarh. Many showrooms andemporiums lined up in this city sells awide range of phulkari products rangingfrom cushion covers, handkerchiefs,textiles, shawls, dupattas, carpets,furniture, etc. The best place to buytraditional phulkari items is fromPhulkari Punjab GovernmentEmporium that is nestled in Sector 17.o Punjbai Dupattas - Punjabi dupatta, akind of long scarf that every girl ofChandigarh proudly wears and flauntsin style is the cynosure for all womentourists. Every shop in Chandigarh isfilled with heaps of colorful duppatasthat can be purchased by shelling out areasonable amount of money. Aparticular shop called SparshCollections is the best place to step in totake a look at the stoles, duppatas andPunjabi designer suits. 35. THINGS TO BUYo Juttis - Jutti, the traditional footwear ofPunjab is another wonderful souvenirthat can be bought from this beautifulcity. These kinds of footwear are not justcomfortable and elegant but also make aperson look fashionable. Some of thepopular ones are style jutti, Kingwedding jutti, punch zari khausa jutti,embroidery jutti and lots more. R.S.Apparels situated in Manimajra and PalFootwear situated near Janta Market arethe good places to buy footwear fromChandigarh.o Handlooms And Artifacts - To shop forhandloom products and artifacts,emporiums are the best bet. GujaratHandlooms & Handicrafts Emporiumsituated in Dakshin Marg, Sector 20 D isthe best place to stop over and check outthe wide range of handicrafts collection.The wooden carved boxes, statues ofLord Ganesha, sofa covers with Phulkariworks are the top picks here. 36. HOW TO REACHo By Air : The airport is 11 km from downtown. Taxis are available forAirport transfer. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air Deccan connectsChandigarh with New Delhi the National Capital.o By Rail : Chandigarh is linked with New Delhi, the National Capitalby Rail. The Chandigarh Railway Station is 8 Kms from the city centrein Sector 17. The twice daily Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and HimalayanQueen connects New Delhi and Chandigarh. Paschim Expressconnects the city to Mumbai, Sadbhavna to Lucknow, Kerala SamparkKranti to Kerala and Chennai Express to Chennai.o By Road : Chandigarh is well connected by road and buses providean important transport link. There are services from various states suchas- Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, and Delhi. It is a gateway to HimachalPradesh as one can reach hill stations like Kasauli, Chail, Shimla etcwithin in a few hours drive. 37. Deep Roots Retreat Farm HouseWhere To StayThe Deep Roots Retreat is a well-appointed and secluded working farm set amidst the PunjabCountryside, just 26 km away from Chandigarh. Nestled amidst, 25 acres of farmland with afair measure of Mango and Guava trees, the retreat offers an environment so tranquil andserene that staying here will be a rejuvenating break for you. The mango orchard is home to thepeacocks, their enchanting calls adds to the ambiance.Our Tours provide you a glimpse of the history of Punjab and take you back to an era whenbrave, honest and pious men built the territory which we now call the Punjab. Click here toknow more 38. Thank YouThe Other HomeVacation Rental | Homestays | Heritage | Eco-Resorts | OutdoorAdventurePhone: 011-26225380 / 65028027Email: info@theotherhome.comWebsite: www.theotherhome.comBlog: blog.theotherhome.com / photoblog.theotherhome.com