Experience ultra-modern India in Chandigarh city, a hub of environmentally friendly innovation. This capital of the states of Haryana and Punjab goes by many names, including The City Beautiful and the Green City. These only hint at its wealth of harmonious architecture, garden spaces and cultural landmarks.
Founded in 1952, Chandigarh was the first planned city in India's post-independence development phase. Its master architect, the famed Swiss-French Le Corbusier, intended it to be a beacon of India's modern potential.
Chandigarh’s million residents are spread out over the 63 sectors that make up the city’s grid layout. Stroll through pretty piazzas and shopping colonnades in sector 17, the commercial centre of Chandigarh. Shop for second-hand books, find discounted electronics and browse the showrooms of high-end department stores.
Chandigarh is also regarded as the cultural capital of the region. Visit the Government Museum and Art Gallery in sector 10 to see portraits of Indian Independence fighters among a collection of over 10,000 artworks.
Discover the thought processes of Le Corbusier as you inspect his pre-construction blueprints of Chandigarh in the Architecture Museum. Take a tour of the Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park to learn about the IT companies that have catapulted the city to the forefront of 21st-century technological innovation.
The green side of Chandigarh shines through at the Botanical Garden Sarangpur. See ornamental acacias and rare cacti and bonsai designs among hundreds of species in this diverse nature park. Take a fragrant walk through Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, which displays over 50,000 rose bushes.
In sector one, enter an enchantingly odd world of abstract sculptures in the Rock Garden, where figures are made from piles of trash. As the sun begins to set, join nature admirers around the nearby Sukhna Lake, a bird-filled reservoir that is beautifully framed by the rugged Shivalik Mountains.
Get to Chandigarh by plane or train. The city is easily navigated by efficient bus routes and rickshaws. After seeing the sights, take a daytrip to nearby Pinjore for the Yadavindra Gardens, a striking Mughal paradise.
