Chandigarh – The City Beautiful

Chandigarh, the capital of the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, is a union territory, the city is governed directly by the Union Government and is not part of either state. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the north, west, and south, and to the state of Haryana to the east. Chandigarh is considered to be a part of the Chandigarh capital region or Greater Chandigarh, which includes Chandigarh, the city of Panchkula (in Haryana), and the cities of Kharar, Kurali Mohali (in Punjab).

Chandigarh was one of the early planned cities in post-independence India and is internationally known for its architecture and urban design. The master plan of the city was prepared by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, which transformed from earlier plans created by the Polish architect Maciej Nowicki and the American planner Albert Mayer. Most of the government buildings and housing in the city were designed by the Chandigarh Capital Project Team headed by Le Corbusier, Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry. In 2015, an article published by BBC named Chandigarh one of the perfect cities in the world in terms of architecture, cultural growth, and modernization.

Fast Facts

Location: Punjab, Haryana
Tourist Attractions: Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Pinjore Gardens, International Dolls Museum, Terraced Garden, ChattBir Zoo, Mohali Cricket Stadium, Chappar Chiri, Le Corbusier Centre.
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Local Tongue: Punjabi, Hindi
STD Code : (91) – 172
Best time to Visit: Throughout the year
State Emblem: Open Hand Monument
State Animal: Indian grey mongoose
State Bird: Indian grey hornbill
State Flower: Dhak flower
State Tree: Mango tree
Culture and Tradition of Chandigarh

Climate and the best time to visit

Chandigarh enjoys an extreme climate with hot summers (March to June) and chilly winters (November to February). The monsoon season, though pleasant in the evenings, is humid during the daytime. The best time to visit Chandigarh is the period between mid-August and November when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold. By the end of August monsoon is almost over and the temperature is mild summer with morning and evening getting colder, this is the best time to visit the beautiful city gardens.

Religious Places in Chandigarh

Chandi Devi Temple

Chandi Mandir (Hindu, Mandir: “Temple”) is a Hindu temple near Chandigarh, India, dedicated to Chandi, the goddess of power. It is about 15 km from the city of Chandigarh, which was named after the temple, and about 10 km away from the Mansa Devi Shrine. The temple is situated amidst beautiful surroundings and the backdrop of the Shivalik hills.

Mansa Devi Temple

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Panchkula district of Haryana state in India. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Shivalik foothills in village Bilaspur, near Mani Majra, and Panchkula, 10 km from Chandi Mandir, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Chandigarh.

Nada Sahib Gurudwara

Nada Sahib is a Sikh Gurudwara in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. Situated on the banks of the Ghaggar-Hakra River in the Sivalik Hills, it is the location where Guru Gobind Singh halted while traveling from Paonta Sahib to Anandpur Sahib after the Battle of Bhangani in 1688.

ISKCON temple

Srila Prabhupada visited Chandigarh in 1976 and desired a Vedic educational institute to help educated citizens of the City Beautiful to make their life happier and peaceful by practicing Krishna consciousness. ISKCON started a regular Vedic institute and temple on a 3-acre land in the heart of the city in sector 36-B in 1979.

Other Tourist Attractions

Rock Garden

The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India, also known as Nek Chand’s Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres (161874.25 m²). It is completely built of industrial and home waste and thrown-away items.

Now over twenty-five acres of several thousand sculptures are 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.

Rose Garden

Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is a botanical garden located in Chandigarh, India, and spread over 30 acres (120,000 m2) of land, with 50,000 rose bushes of 1600 different species.

The Zakir Rose Garden serves as the venue for hosting an annual rose festival called Rose Festival, a major cultural event in Chandigarh during February or March.

Pinjore Gardens

Pinjore Gardens (also known as Pinjor Gardens or Yadavindra Gardens) is located in Pinjore, Panchkula district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is an example of the Mughal Gardens style and was built by Patiala Dynasty Rulers. The garden is in the village of Pinjore lie 22 km from Chandigarh on the Ambala-Shimla road.

International Dolls Museum

Located in Sector 23, International Dolls Museum in Chandigarh, India is one of the best museums in our country. It houses splendid dolls and puppets gathered from all over the world.

Terraced Garden

Covering an area of 10 acres, Terrace garden in Chandigarh, India was set up in the year 1979. It is located in Sector 33. The main attraction factor of the terraced flower garden is its lighted musical fountain, where popular folk, as well as film songs, are played.

ChattBir Zoo

ChattBir Zoo is a zoological park situated close to Zirakpur, India, and is an abode to a large variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The lion safari is the most interesting part of the Chattbir Zoo. The construction of a zoo dates back to the seventies and at present, it is the most developed zoological park in the area

Mohali Cricket Stadium

Also called as Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium it is a cricket ground located in Mohali, near Chandigarh. The stadium is home to the Punjab team. The construction of the stadium took around ₹ 25 crores and 3 years to complete. It is popularly referred to as the Mohali Stadium. India has a total of 29 International cricket grounds, including 19 of test match grounds but Mohali cricket ground at Chandigarh in Punjab is one of the most beautiful looking of them.

Chappar Chiri

The Fateh Burj is the tallest minaret in India situated in the historical village of Chappar Chiri in the SAS Nagar district, Punjab. The 328 ft tower is dedicated to the establishment of the Sikh Misls in a large part of India. “Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial” at Chapparchiri in SAS Nagar near sector-91 Mohali was inaugurated on 30th November 2011. The 20-acre memorial commemorates Baba Singh Bahadur’s glorious victory over the Mughal forces in May 1710.

Le Corbusier Centre

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture. Corbusier prepared the master plan for the city of Chandigarh in India and contributed specific designs for several buildings there. Le Corbusier Centre has been set up by the Chandigarh Administration, at the old Sector 19 office of the city’s architect, Le Corbusier. The Centre displays and exhibits the life and works of Le Corbusier, so that tourists and future generations may be able to acquaint themselves with the rich cultural heritage of the city.

Stay At

Chandigarh offers various options of places to stay. Most of Chandigarh’s upmarket hotels are located in or near Sector 22, near the bus terminus. Among the Top Hotels in Chandigarh are J W Marriot, Hotel Mountview, Hotel Taj Chandigarh Fort Ramgarh Hotel, KC Cross Road hotel, and Hotel KLG International.

Getting There

By Air :

Chandigarh airport is located at a distance of 13.6 km from Sector 17. The geographical coordinates of this airport are Latitude: 3° 4° 29″ N and Longitude: 76° 47′ 26″ E. Elevation: 1012 ft. Other airports near Chandigarh airport are Shimla Airport (100 Km), Ludhiana Airport (110 Km), Amritsar Airport (246.6 km), and Kangra Airport (250 Km) by road. The best route to reach the airport is via Airport-Aerocity Road in Mohali because the road is wide and well built. The airlines operating at Chandigarh Airport are Air India, Jet Konnect (managed by Jet Airways), Jet Airways, Air Asia, Go Air, Indigo, and Spicejet.

By Rail :

There are 43 weekly trains from Delhi to Chandigarh. The different trains that you can find for Delhi to Chandigarh are Kalka Shatabdi, Una Himachal Janshatabdi, Kalka Shatabdi, New Delhi Chandigarh Shatabdi, Paschim Express, etc. Chandigarh Express with train no 19307 is the first train that departs from Delhi at 01:40 AM. Whereas New Delhi Chandigarh Shatabdi has train no. 12045 is the last train that departs from Delhi at 19:15 PM.

By Road :

Chandigarh has excellent road connectivity with other neighboring cities. Many direct buses are available from cities like Mussoorie, Shimla, Mcleodganj, Dharamsala, Delhi, Kullu, etc. National Highway 1 connects Chandigarh with Delhi, which takes around 4 to 5 hours.

Distance from Major Cities to Chandigarh.

59 km to Patiala, India
85 km to Yamunanagar, India
91 km to Ludhiana, India
113 km to Saharanpur, India
119 km to Karnal, India
128 km to Dehradun, India
133 km to Jalandhar, India
144 km to Roorkee, India
151 km to Panipat, India