Chandigarh – India

admin — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:39:29 +0000

The very fact that two states demand this union territory as their capital speaks volumes about Chandigarh. But then Chandigarh offers the best of many worlds-as planned and structured as any world class city,but with an innate indianness that adds to its appeal.
Its really what every urban city aspires to be.Called an architectural wonders in urban planning, Chandigarh is the perfact example of how one can keep a fast-growing metro clean,green and perple-friendly.
The city is systematically planned and divided into 47 well-connected sectors.Yet nothing is boring,nothing is predictable,as you walk into the world renowed Rock Garden.Not for this city the simple parks and blooming
greens-the Rock Gardenby Nek Chand is nothing short of a work of art sculptedout of disposed material such as broken tubelights and bangles,tin cans and bottletops.I was absolutely fascinated to see line after line of
figurines dotting the park,especially when I realised that all the disposed material had been collected off the streets by the man himself. A different beauty, not the cosmetic,cloned variety but one that stems from
creativity and a rare social consciousness.just like the city itself…..
If you’re looking to get away from the frenetic pace of the city,head for Sukhna Lake,perfect for a laidback day.A manmade lake,it’s a haven for birdwatchers who rarely get this luxury in urban life- many species of
aquatic birds from central asia and siberia migrate here.On festive occasions,the lake is also the scane for much merrymaking,and of course,rowing and sailing are popular pastimes here.
nature lovers have never had it so good-the city is a paradise for enthusiasts.I headed straight for the acclaimed Zakir Rose Garden,Asia’s biggest,with over 1,600 varieties of the flower.If you’re there at the end
of February or beginning March,do’nt miss the Rose festival,an extravagant explosion of colour and nature that is a complete eye-opener for someone like me who always looked at the rose as a simple flower.
But more then the Rose Garden,what captivated me were some of the less known attractions-the Mnago Garden that u just can’nt miss when the mango season comes around;the Garden of Fragrance,so called because of the aromatic plants that grow there,from honeysuckle and jasmine to damask rose to henna;and the 20-acre Bougainvillaea Garden in sector 10 that has a riot of creepers adorning arches,pavilions and arcades.
But incaeving a future for itself Chandigarh has not forgotten its past-the city’s Museum of Evolution is amazing,and depicts 5,000 years of indian history,with separate galleries for astronomy,geology and the ancient man.
The National Gallery of Portraits in sector 17 is like reliving history-it houses life-like portraits of indian freedom fighters,rare documents from those times,and voice recording of eminent figures of India’s Independence movement.The museumtransports you into a bygone world,one in which the price paid for the freedom of our present by the leaders of our past is brought home to even a causal visitor with emphatic force.A humbling lesson in history.
Chandigarh also makes the perfect base for excursions into the neighbouring hills;so weekends and holidays do’nt see the visitors or the resident short of options.
In many case,the city itself is not all laidback leisure and nature-Chandigarh offers a dynamic cityscape to the visitor looking for a vibrant urban experience.The city’s shopping and leisure centres match the best in the country,and sector 17 comes alive the way few city centres across the country do,especially after sundown,when eating and entertainment take over-Punjabis after all, are a vivacious,larger than life people!Pubs,hotels,clubs,snooker parlours,bowling alleys and
discotheques are always busy,and as for food,it is like an industry in itself!whether you crave favourites like mah ki dal
and butter chicken,or continental,chinese,mexican.italian or fast food,it’s all at arm’s reach.

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Chandigarh – India