In the ‘City Beautiful’: Chandigarh

• Country: India
• State: Union Territory
• Area: 114 square kilometers
• Elevation: 321 metres
• Population: 12 lakh (Chandigarh Capital Region including Mohali, Panchkula and Zirakpur)
• Literacy rate: 82 percent
• Female-male ratio: 777 female per 1,000 male
• Pin code: 160
• Telephone Code: 0172
• Time Zone: GMT plus 5:30

Chandigarh means the ‘Fort of Chandi’. The name has been derived from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, located near the city. Chandigarh is the first planned city in India, featuring numerous architectural works by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer, some of the greatest architects in world history. Chandigarh ranks at the top of all states and Union Territories in terms of per capita income. Since 1966, Chandigarh has been the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. The city is also a significant base for the Indian Air Force and other defense establishments. Chandigarh, along with Panchkula and Mohali, is known as the Chandigarh Tricity.

History

Following the partition of India and the division of Punjab, the Indian part of Punjab needed a new capital. The existing settlements were found to be inadequate to serve as a capital, so the decision was made to create a completely new planned city. Subsequently, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, commissioned Chandigarh, and Le Corbusier designed several buildings and projects in the city. However, Corbusier was not the first person to work on the Chandigarh urban project. Before him, American architect-planner Albert Mayer and Polish architect Matthew Nowicki worked on it. Corbusier was called in after Nowicki’s death in 1950. In 1966, when Haryana was created as a Hindi-speaking state from Punjab, Chandigarh, due to its location on the border, served as the capital of both states. In 2007, Chandigarh became the first Indian city to ban smoking in public places.

Geography

The city of Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in northwest India. Chandigarh shares its borders with Haryana in the east and Punjab in the north, west, and south. Himachal Pradesh is also close to the city. Mohali, Patiala, and Roop Nagar districts of Punjab, and Panchkula and Ambala districts of Haryana, surround the city.

Climate

Chandigarh experiences a sub-tropical continental climate, marked by winter, monsoon, and summer, with significant variation in temperature.

• Winter: Winter, which extends from November to mid-February, can witness frost in Chandigarh. The average winter temperature in Chandigarh ranges from a maximum of 15°C to a minimum of -2°C. Winter can also bring rainfall from the west, accompanied by hailstorms.
• Spring: Spring extends from mid-February to mid-March. Temperatures during this period vary between 25°C and 18°C.
• Autumn: Autumn (from mid-March to April) can see temperatures rise to a high of 36°C, with the minimum temperature around 13°C.
• Summer: Summer temperatures range from 35°C to 40°C, sometimes even reaching up to 47°C. Summer extends from mid-May to mid-June.
• Monsoon: From mid-June to mid-September, Chandigarh receives moderate to heavy rainfall, sometimes very heavy.

Flora and fauna

Deer, sambar, and barking deer are found in the forested parts of the city. Among the avifauna, woodpeckers, peacocks, parrots, ducks, geese, and migratory birds from distant places are spotted here. Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh hosts several bird species.

Attractions

1. Sukhna Lake
2. Morni Hills
3. Parrot Sanctuary
4. Rock Garden
5. Government Museum and Art Gallery
6. Museum of Evolution of Life
7. Rose Garden
8. The Hidden Valley: Ecotourism camping adventure site
9. International Dolls Museum
10. Mata Jayanti Devi Temple at Jayanti Majri Village
11. Pracheen Kala Kendra
12. Lalit Kala Sahitya and Sangeet Natak Academy
13. Open Hand Monument
14. Capitol Complex housing the state governments of Punjab and Haryana
15. Kansal and Nepali forests (Chandigarh has about 324 hectares of forest land)
16. Leisure Valley
17. Chhatbir Zoo
18. Hibiscus Garden, Terraced Garden, Botanical Garden, Pinjore Gardens, Cactus Garden
19. Parks like Topiary Park, Smriti Upavan, Bougainvillea Park, Rajendra Park, Shanti Kunj, and Children’s Traffic Park.

Religious places

1. Chandi Mandir
2. Koohni Sahib Gurudwara
3. Mansa Devi Temple
4. Baoli Sahib Gurudwara
5. Amb Sahib Gurudwara
6. Nabha Sahib Gurudwara

Other Places of Attraction: Chail, Shimla, Solan and Kasauli are other places of interest close to Chandigarh

Festivals

1. The Rose Festival at Rose Garden in February-March.
2. Chandigarh Carnival in November for students.
3. Teej Festival: Rock Garden assumes a festive look during this time.
4. Chrysanthemum Show (flower show) in December, celebrated in the Terrace Garden of Sector 33.
5. At Sukhna Lake, one can enjoy joy rides for children, boat rides, fishing, and other events.
6. Plaza Carnival
7. Baisakhi Festival in April
8. Mango Festival in June

Cuisines

Chandigarh’s cuisine mainly features Punjabi dishes, such as:

• Makki Di Roti, Sarson Ka Saag, Dal Makhni, Punjabi Chhole, Baingan Da Bhurtha, Palak Paneer, Butter Chicken, Paratha, Naan, Chicken Tikkas, and more.

Economy

Government service is the major constituent of Chandigarh’s economy due to the presence of three governments (Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh UT). The high concentration of government employees (working or retired) has made Chandigarh a ‘Pensioners’ Paradise’.

Basic metals, alloys, paper manufacturing, machinery, food products, sanitary ware, automobile parts, pharmaceuticals, and electrical appliances are important industries based in Chandigarh.

Banking

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) are prominent in the city. Chandigarh is also an emerging Information Technology hub, ranked among the top 50 cities in the world as an IT destination.

Facts about Chandigarh

• UT Administration: Chandigarh is administered by a Union Territory Administrator appointed under Article 239 of the Indian Constitution. The Administrator has an Advisor, a senior IAS officer.
• Police: Under the charge of the Senior Superintendent of Police.
• Religion: Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity.
• Language: Punjabi, Hindi, English, Hindustani (a mix of Hindi and Urdu).

Education

Chandigarh is home to many prestigious educational institutions such as:

• Punjab University
• GGDSD College
• Government College of Fine Arts
• DAV College
• Chandigarh College of Architecture
• IMTECH (Institute for Microbial Technology)
• PGIMER (Postgraduate Institute for Medical Education and Research)
• Punjab Engineering College
• National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR)
• IISER (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research)
• Chandigarh College of Hotel Management and Catering Technology

Newspapers

• The Tribune
• Hindustan Times
• Amar Ujala
• Punjab Kesari
• Indian Express
• Times of India
• Dainik Bhaskar

Hospitals

Silver Oaks, Chaitanya Hospital, Alchemist Hospital, YPS Hospital, R.K. Hospital, Vikrant Gupta Memorial Hospital. The high-class medical facilities have made Chandigarh a frontline destination for medical tourism.

Sports

Chandigarh has world-class sports infrastructure, including stadiums, swimming pools, shooting ranges, skating rinks, and hockey stadiums.

Famous personalities

• Abhinav Bindra (Olympic Gold Medalist shooter)
• Kapil Dev (former World Cup-winning cricket captain)
• Milkha Singh (athlete)
• Jeev Milkha Singh (golfer)
• Jaspal Bhatti (comedian)
• Yuvraj Singh (cricketer)
• Poonam Dhillon (Bollywood actress)

How to Reach

• By Air: Chandigarh Airport is connected to various cities like New Delhi and Mumbai. Efforts are underway to set up an international airport here.
• By Rail: Chandigarh is connected to cities like New Delhi, Ambala, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Lucknow, Trivandrum, Patna, and others.
• By Road: Chandigarh is well connected with road networks to various parts of the country. National Highway 21 connects Chandigarh with Leh, and National Highway 22 connects Ambala with Kinnaur. Chandigarh has two Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBT): one in Sector 17 (for Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and New Delhi) and the other in Sector 43 (for Punjab, parts of Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir).