Rock Garden

Location: in Sector 1 between the Capitol Complex and Sukhna

Lake

Highlights: exquisite artwork made from industrial and urban

waste

Chandigarh rock garden is an epitome of creativity and

innovation. It is a unique garden that consists of various art

objects. But the best part about the rock garden is that each of its

artwork has been made by using industrial & urban waste. It is located in Sector 1 between the Capitol

Complex and Sukhna Lake. The credit for laying its foundation goes to Nek Chand, who was the then Road

Inspector in the Engineering Department of Chandigarh Capital Project.

Rock garden has been established in the form of an open-air exhibition hall. The garden houses sculptures

made by using a variety of different discarded waste materials like frames, mudguards, forks, handle bars,

metal wires, play marbles, porcelain, auto parts, broken bangles etc. Rock garden in Chandigarh, India is a

unique creation and connoisseurs come from different parts of the world to see this amazing garden.

Background

The Rock Garden project was secretly initiated by Nek Chand around 1957. It was discovered by the authorities in 1975, by which time it had grown into a twelve-acre complex of interlinked courtyards, each filled with hundreds of pottery-covered concrete sculptures of dancers, musicians, and animals. The authorities took over, and the garden was inaugurated as a public space in 1976. It is presently run by the Rock Garden Society.

[edit] The Garden

The Rock Garden is still made out of recycled materials. It is situated near Sukhna Lake. It consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and and many other sculptures that have been made of scrap & other kinds of wastes (bottles, glasses, bangles, tiles, ceramic pots, sinks, electrical waste, etc) which are placed in walled paths.

This creation has even appeared on the Indian stamp in the year 1983. This magic garden is another attraction for travelers built by Nekchand, with multicoloured pieces of useless stones and other throwaway. In summer it is open from 9-13.00 hrs. and 15-19.00 hrs. From October to March, they are open from 9-13.00 hrs. and 14-18.00 hrs Location: This strange and whimsical garden is located in Sector 1 and is a premier tourist attraction.

The Rock Garden at Chandigarh

by Carl Lindquist

 

The well-ordered streets of Chandigarh lead the visitor to the northeastern edge of the city. It is here that the Rock Garden is located. Upon entering, the visitor finds winding paths which provide a perfect complement to Le Corbusier's design for the civic grid of Chandigarh. Walls built of terra cotta pots and sherds shade cobblestone paths, leading to large open areas occupied by pavilions built of concrete and stone. The buildings in the rock garden borrow from architectural precedents in India: some can be related to Mughal traditions by the use of the chattri (a domed kiosk supported on pillars) and the bangala (a curved roof whose two sides meet at a single ridge), and the pointed arch; other structures pay homage to the simple elegance of village domestic architecture.

Streams and waterfalls weave around these paths and buildings. Along the entire route, neglected and thrown-away items have been transformed into fanciful creatures placed on inclined fields of sherds and rock. All are constructed of various combinations of porcelain, concrete, and stone. People, dogs, bears, birds, elephants, mythological and hybrid creatures can be found. One figure, a three-dimensional mosaic of broken plates, reclines and holds a coffee cup. Some groups are organized by profession, such as dancers and musicians, while others are eclectic ensembles of personages and animals.

Throughout, elements of Indian society become manifest. Groups of people exhibiting a great variety of dress, ranging from traditional Indian designs to western styles, reflect the multiplicity of ideas, attitudes and cultures within this country.

The group of Indian women collecting water is especially relevant in a forum which addresses the need to protect the environment and to conserve resources. The dearth of viable wells and quality water in some areas forces women in village India to devote an estimated 30 percent of their day to the collection of water.

The animal statues found in the Rock Garden reveal an appreciation and concern for the diverse wildlife found on the Indian subcontinent. Birds are represented, as are the trained dancing bears often seen along roadsides near heavily-trafficked tourist areas. One of my favorite examples is a group of creatures resembling the ubiquitous brown macaque monkeys. Here they are found on an inclined field of pot sherds, striking the squatting pose they often take while watching traffic along roads.

The Rock Garden can be fully appreciated only by visiting it, by walking through it and studying it. Replete with imagery and layers of meaning, it offers much reward to those who come here. It is not an Indian monument, but a world monument which speaks of contemporary global concerns through imagination and ingenuity. Of the hundreds of architectural monuments I visited in India, Nek Chand's Rock Garden stands out in its universality and creativity.

About Rock Garden

This magic garden is another attraction for travelers built by Nekchand, with multicoloured pieces of useless stones and other throwaway. In summer it is open from 9-13.00 hrs. and 15-19.00 hrs. From October to March, they are open from 9-13.00 hrs. and 14-18.00 hrs Location: This strange and whimsical garden is located in Sector 1 and is a premier tourist attraction.

Unique feature

The most powerful aspect of the gardens is that - thousands of animal or humanoid figures made out of discarded materials, which stand in rigid rows like silent static armies. It’s a series of interconnected rocky grottoes, walkways and landscaped waterfalls. All this demonstrates how urban and industrial waste can be fruitfully recycled and used in creative pursuit.

Creation

It is the creation of Nek chand, who began the project in the year 1958, while working as a roads inspector for Chandigarh’s Engineering Department. An unpretentious entrance leads to a magnificent, almost surrealist arrangement of rocks, broken chinaware, discarded fluorescent tubes, broken and cast away glass bangles, coal and clay-all juxtaposed to create a dream folk world of palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life, women and temples. Since the site where the garden stands today was used as a dumping ground for urban and industrial waste, he picked up pieces of foundry limekiln and metal workshop wastes and shaped them with his creative genius. These pieces have been innovatively displayed as sculptures in the garden. An open-air theatre and a vast pavilion with a centre stage are the other highlights of the Rock Garden where art and culture blend amidst the rustic and exotic environs of the garden. Several prestigious performances have been staged in this small artistic and naturalistic open-air theatre. It has become almost a heritage site and visitors leave in admiration, only to return again. Artists and connoisseurs from all over the world flock to see this unique and amazing creation. It is without doubt, a tourist spot, which is a must on the itinerary of every visitor to Chandigarh.

Layout

The layout of the Garden is based on the fantasy of a lost kingdom. One has to pass through a variety of doorways, archways, vestibules, streets and lanes of different scales and dimensions, each one opening into a new array of displays or courtyards and chambers lending an air of suspense and curiosity at every corner, at every turn! During the Teej Festival, the Garden assumes a festive look, holding a special attraction for tourists. As one strolls through the Garden, enjoying the awe inspiring creation, one may find himself face to face with the unassuming artist Nek Chand himself, working at or supervising his 'kingdom'.

Rock Garden, Chandigarh, IndiaThe Animals are made from broken Bone China Plates and some brokes tiles..this place is in one of the end of the Rock Garden, Chandigarh, IndiaThis Picture is taken with a very simple mobile camera..The Sony Ericsson K700i..I tried to put a force in the angle of the view..

"Built of industrial waste and thrown-away items, the Rock Garden in the city of Chandigarh is perhaps the world's most poignant and salient statement of the possibility of finding beauty in the unexpected and accidental.

 

 

One day over 40 years ago, Nek Chand, a humble transport official in the north Indian city of Chandigarh, began to clear a little patch of jungle to make himself a small garden area. He set stones around the little clearing and before

long had sculpted a few figures recycled from materials he found at hand. Gradually Nek Chand's creation developed and grew; before long it covered several acres and comprised of hundreds of sculptures set in a series of interlinking

courtyards.

After his normal working day Chand worked at night, in total secrecy for fear of being discovered by the authorities.When they did discover Chand's garden, local government officials were thrown into turmoil. The creation

was completely illegal - a development in a forbidden area which by rights should be demolished.

The outcome, however, was the enlightened decision to give Nek Chand a salary so that he could concentrate full-time on his work, plus a workforce of fifty labourers. Nek Chand's great work received immediate recognition and was

inaugurated as The Rock Garden of Chandigarh.

 

Now over twenty five acres of several thousand sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards linked by walled paths and deep gorges, Nek Chand's creation also combines huge buildings with a series of interlinking waterfalls.

The Rock Garden is now acknowledged as one of the modern wonders of the world. Over 5000 visitors each day, some 12 million people so far, walk around this vast creation - the greatest artistic achievement seen in India since the Taj

Mahal.

Chandigarh, The Rock Garden, one of the well-known symbols of this city and a hugely popular tourist spot, is all set to rock next month as it celebrates its diamond jubilee.

Conceptualised and created by Nek Chand, a man who was neither a born artist nor an engineer, the garden has stood the test of time - it was on the verge of being demolished in the mid-1970s by local authorities after it was discovered in a wooded area of this post-independence planned city.

The diamond jubilee celebrations of this unique garden, spread over 25 acres with sculptures made from waste material like broken electric plugs and switches, discarded and broken tea sets, toilet seats and flush tanks, will take place Nov 7-11 and will include art conferences and sculpture workshops.

The Britain-based Nek Chand Foundation, his fans and supporters from the US and other countries and the Chandigarh administration are jointly holding the events at the Rock Garden.

While Nek Chand began working on the garden in the late 50’s, city authorities discovered his art work only in 1975. And though the years don’t add up to 60, the foundation has decided to hold the celebrations this year itself.

"The celebrations will include an international folk art conference in which artists and performers from France, Britain, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, India and Denmark will participate," Nek Chand Foundation trustee Tony Rajer said here.

The event will also have a sculpture workshop that will be supervised by US-based artist-designer Nancey Saghetti, Nek Chand and others.

Nek Chand, who turns 83 next month, enjoys honorary citizenship in the US and in the city of Paris for his creativity.

And he is overjoyed about the diamond jubilee celebration of his creation.

"This place (Rock Garden) was discovered by the local authorities a full 18 years after I started working on creating things from waste material in a forested area north of Chandigarh’s residential sectors. I am happy today that my creation is acknowledged worldwide," a visibly happy Nek Chand told IANS.

Being a road inspector in this city - planned and executed after the country’s independence in 1947 as a symbol of a modern resurgent India - Nek Chand toiled hard with his creations amid official apathy for years to get it acknowledged internationally.

He used to work on his creations at night - burning cycle tyres for light - so that no one would notice him. "I used to do my job as road inspector during the day," Nek Chand recalled.

But for the global fame of Rock Garden, Chandigarh would never have got international recognition on such a big scale. The garden was formally thrown open to the public in 1976 and has enjoyed great support from Chandigarh residents and visitors coming here.

The garden is today a dream world of its own, showcasing creations like village scenes, waterfalls, tunnels, humans and animals - all from waste material.

Nek Chand’s office inside the Rock Garden complex even now gets loads of waste material collected by schoolchildren, common people and even companies to be put to good use in his ever-expanding creation.

"I get waste material and discarded things from all over the region," he points out, showing some heaps of waste material lying outside his office.

Last year volunteers from Britain came to the garden twice to manually carry out restoration work on Nek Chand’s creations that had been vandalised with graffiti and physically damaged in some cases.

Rock Garden Rocks!

Built by Nekchand, Rock Garden of Chandigarh explores a different side of human artistry.

Thousands of animal and humanoid figures made out of multicoloured useless stones,

industrial and urban waste and other throwaways is the main attraction of this unique Rock

Garden. Ironically, the wastes have gained a new height here with the touch of human fingers,

which is the fact that mesmerizes the tourists coming here. People coming to Chandigarh

make it a point to visit this unparalleled destination, Rock Garden.

Chandigarh Rock GardenThe city of peace chandigarh with its best in the winter months gives serene look to the city with beautiful sidelined trees and borad roads and frugal traffic makes the city less noisy.Climatologically,the city finds its geographical location in the Shivalik foothill of Himalayas which has two best tourist destinations Shimla and Kulu -Manali which suits all sorts of International tourists,the local tourist having the above cities to visit along with lots of religious places,Vaishno Devi and other Goddess temples totaling seven in Himachal to J & K..Most pupular tourist spot is Simla in summer and Jhaku temple devoted to Lord Hanuman is a religious temple as Lord Hanuman rested at this place while on way to get herbs for Lakshman brother of Lord Rama in epic war of Ram-Ravana.On the way to shimla from chandiarh little town like Parwanoo,Dharmpur,Hanghat,Kasuli,Chota Sihimal,Shoggi, Kufri,Chahaal are added attarction.City of Solan in mid way is also tourist place to stay here for longer period as this city is most moderate in climate and full of energy with lots of marketing network and supplier of daily needs city to the hills.The Chandigarh also falls in line for tourist vsiting Dhamshala.Macleodgunj,Dalhousie.The city being capital of two states of India,Haryana and Punjab has Rock garden situated in North of the city and Sukhana lake on the east wings.The garden is desinged by Shri Tek chand who is an engineer by profession and who took the waste of the city and tried to recycle it in the design of parks which received the state attention and was assisted by the chandigarh adminstration to complete the vision of getting the waste of the city use in best and to beautify the parks.Ultimetly the garden took the shape of artifical water falls,recycle of water and rocks and boulders to give the shape of rock garden which has depicted the indian village life and tradition of rural india with blend of Rajas mansions.My Guest from Australia Sam,the chief Officer in the merchant navy and his friend town planner Maddy in Sydney has really appreciated the works of the creator shri Tek Chand and they took various photgraphs which looks marvellous.We hope the readers will enjoy the rideRock Garden Next to Sukhana Lake there is a unique but a world famous fantasy in the city of Chandigarh, called  Rock Garden. Situated in the thick forest area, this gardens hold 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. The object to be seen there are the figure made of raw cement resembling humans and animals. These figures have been decorated with broken but colourful odds and ends of China clay. As one looks at them with deep intent, they seem to be staring as the visitors. They seem to be engaged in various activities. There are group of dancing damsels made from

bicycle and motorcycle's waste materials, marching armies of warriors resting flying or fledging birds made from countless bite of broken glass. There are groups of music bands engaged in their activity of entertaining the visitors. Its creator also needs a mention. The garden was visualised by Sh. Nek Chand. He belong from gurdaspur district in Punjab province. He started his life in PWD as labourer, but late rose to high ranks. He came to Chandigarh as Road Inspector. His deep visualization made him to pick and collect all sorts of discarded scrap. He started to visit waste dumps of the factories. He collected there raw cement, broken pipes and other discarded matter. He created rapport with the truck drivers who carried and drop his debris at a vacant corner of the forest where now this unique creation stands. For twelve years he worked hard alone on this unique fantasy. After twelve years the work of Nek Chand noticed by Government. He was giving deserving patronage. An area of twelve acres was allotted for the extension of the original Rock Garden. Even funds were provided for carrying on the work.

Next to Sukhana Lake  there is a unique but a world famous fantasy in the city of Chandigarh, called  Rock Garden. Situated in the thick forest  area ,this gardens hold s 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. The object to be seen there are the  figure made of  raw cement resembling  humans and animals. These  figures have been decorated with broken but colourful odds and ends of China clay. As one looks at them with deep intent, they seem  to be staring as the visitors. They seem  to be engaged in various activities. There are group of dancing damsels made from bicycle and motorcycle's waste  materials, marching armies of warriors resting flying or fledging  birds made from countless bite of broken glass. There are groups of music bands engaged in their activity of entertaining the visitors. Its creator also needs a mention. The garden was visualised  by Sh. Nek Chand. He belong from gurdaspur district in Punjab province. He started his life in PWD as labourer ,but late rose to  high ranks. He came to Chandigarh as Road Inspector. His deep visualization made   him to pick and collect all sorts of discarded scrap. He started to visit waste dumps of the factories. He collected there raw cement ,broken pipes and other discarded matter. He created rapport with the truck drivers who carried and drop his debris at a vacant corner of the forest where now this unique creation stands. For twelve years he worked hard alone on this unique fantasy. After twelve years the work of Nek Chand  noticed by Government. He was given deserving patronage. An area of twelve acres was allotted for the extension of the original  Rock Garden. Even funds were provided for carrying on the work.

Chandigarh and The Rock Garden

by Carl Lindquist

 

 

It is said: "India is a land of contrasts."

This statement, often found in travel literature, is one of the Western World's favorite assessments of this country. Indeed, contrasts are found in India: It is a land with a history of invention and discovery that spans millennia, the birthplace of many religions and home to nearly a billion people. To describe India simply as a land of contrasts allows the foreigner to neatly encapsulate an overwhelming variety of indescribable experiences and impressions.

However useful this phrase may be, it is a superficial assessment in the sense that it reinforces the illusion of the mysterious East, a place where the inhabitants, their concerns, and their endeavors, are somehow very different from those in the West. India is indeed a land of contrasts, but this statement, insofar as it posits India as a place which is remote and incomprehensible, belies the fact that the concerns and problems of the Indian people are shared throughout our planet.

The city in which the Rock Garden is located is itself a study in contrasts. Chandigarh is a modern city, built in the 1950s from a design by the French architect Le Corbusier. Although its arrangement of streets and sectors on a

strict grid contrasts with the organic, intertwining streets and alleys found in the older sectors of many Indian cities, Le Corbusier's design has a local historical precedent: Chandigarh was the site of an ancient city which had wide streets intersecting at right-angles, lined with neat, well-constructed buildings. In principle this ancient civic design is not unlike the 20th century plan created by Le Corbusier. The visitor who walks the streets of Chandigarh senses the civic appreciation of beauty and order. Streets here are clean, wide, and clearly demarcated. To the northwest is a world class rose garden. A huge pedestrian mall occupies the center of the downtown area, giving the town a cosmopolitan appeal.

No guide book gives a just description of The Rock Garden in Chandigarh. Built of industrial waste and thrown-away items, it is perhaps the world's most poignant and salient statement of the possibility of finding beauty in the unexpected and accidental. It expresses the fragility of the environment, the need for conservation of the earth's natural resources, the importance of balancing industrial development and sound environmental practices. It attests to the ingenuity and imagination of the people of Chandigarh and their awareness of these global concerns. Above all, it is a community's testament of appreciation for art, expressing ideas and problems in a universal language.

This monument built by Nek Chand underscores the fact that the East and West are united by common concerns and problems by addressing a dilemma which is all too familiar to Westerners: the opposition between productive industry and a healthy, sustainable environment. The Rock Garden is a monument of international importance which expresses this global problem through beauty, ingenuity, and imagination.

Nek Chand: The Rock Garden, Chandigarh

Camel ride at The Rock Garden, Chandigarh originally uploaded by Velachery Balu

I don't mean to give the impression that I watch TV all day, but did you see the Indian episode of Around The World in 80 Gardens? I was besotted by Nek Chand's Rock Garden in Chandigarh. The unique garden is a perfect marriage of passion, obsession, recycling, sculpture, gardening and bloody hard work created in secret (and what is better than a secret garden) over decades.

Nek gathered all the waste remnants on his bicycle to bring back and transform in the 25 acre garden on land he didn't even own. The garden was threatened with demolition several times and one of those times was saved by people forming a human shield to stop the bulldozers. A great story, a magical place.

originally uploaded by jratcliffe (a great flickr set of the garden)

originally uploaded by Bailoo

These photo's are from flickr, but to see it at it's best you should watch the program because this place is full of movement and life. There are 5 days left to watch online though I now realise some of you are denied access if you live in other countries, not fair. The filming shows best how the areas interlink, how the people connect with the spaces and how stunning the waterfall areas are as they flow.

originally uploaded by Iharkness

originally uploaded by krazykrayons

originally uploaded by Chris Walker

originally uploaded by menakanayyar

originally uploaded by Koshyk

Amongst the magnificent surroundings located at Malampuzha is South India’s first rock garden. It is in the same area as the Malampuzha Dam and the Malampuzha Gardens. World renowned Padmshree Nekchand of Chandigarh sculpted the rock

garden. This garden is every bit as impressive as the surrounding greenery in a different way. The artistry in which the rocks were organized is something to behold. With its surrounding landscape i.e. Western Ghats, this rock garden is a rather inspirational place to sit and ponder on life without many distractions.