“The city beautiful”, Chandigarh literally means “The fort of Chandi”. The name Chandigarh came from the ancient Chandi mandir, devoted to the goddess Chandi (a form of Durga). Located at the charming foothills of Shivaliks, Chandigarh is contented with beautiful surroundings and dazzling gardens with multiple varieties of flora. It is the first planned city of independent India and was majorly designed by architects Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry. Serving as a capital of two states (Punjab and Haryana), the dream city of our first prime minister, Chandigarh tops the lists of per capita income, Human Development Index and cleanliness.
As the city allures you with its beauty, here is the list of places in Chandigarh which attract the most tourists.
Chandigarh botanical garden and Nature Park. Spread over 176 acres of land near village Sarangpur, Chandigarh botanical park includes thousands of varieties of exotic and endangered flora as well as lakes and other water bodies. The main aim behind this establishment is to promote research, education, ex-situ conservation, eco-tourism and spreading awareness for floral heritage.
The rock garden of Chandigarh. Innovated by Nek Chand, a road inspector, Rock garden will leave you spellbound. Situated between Sukhna lake and capitol city in sector 1, Rock garden is but a kingdom of fantasy consisting art objects fashioned from industrial and urban waste. An almost surprising entry with surreal arrangement of rocks, boulders, broken china wares, discarded fluorescent tubes, broken bangles, building waste, coal and clay, all connected together to bring life in the dead rocks by shaping them into palaces, humans, animals, temples, men and women etc. This is an inspiration to all the artists and an amazing watch for commoners.
Sukhna Lake. This 3 km artificial lake is a great place to relax and rejoice under the cool breeze and sweetness of nature as well as to feel the calmness of the immaculate sukhna lake. And if it’s not enough then gear up for the high adrenaline activities like yachting, boating and water-skiing as Sukhna lake is one of the finest places for yachting and rowing and even served for the Asiatic level rowing championships.
Rose garden. The largest rose garden in Asia is a home for more than 1600 varieties of roses. Along with roses it also contains several other species of plants with great medicinal value. It is well maintained, well planned, serves as a venue to many cultural festivities, events and is a major attraction of Chandigarh.
Capitol complex. Comprising three masterpieces, the Secretariat, the High Court and the Legislative Assembly as well as the open hand monument, designed by Le Corbusier is a magnificent piece of architectural work and the best place to see the experimental modern architecture.
International Dolls MuseumA peculiar house of fantastic dolls and funny puppets, International Dolls Museum is located at sector 23. It functions under the guidance of the Indian Council of Child Welfare, Chandigarh. Dolls from various countries are brought here to entertain the kids as well as elders. The giant replica of German railway station plus a toy train pushes the level of entertainment. It’s open every day from 10 am to 5 pm except on Sundays and national holidays.
Leisure valley. One of the favorite picnic spots of Chandigarh, Leisure valley is a series of gardens connected to form a beautiful piece of greenery. It starts from Rajendra Park in sector-1 and extends till the Bougainvillea garden in sector-3. The famous Chandigarh carnival is conducted in the premises of Leisure valley which aims to promote the talents of children and elderly.
Fun City. Spread over 43 acres of land, Fun City is supposed to be the biggest water amusement park in northern India. Located at Ramgarh, Fun City enthralls you with its thrilling rides and other fascinating enjoyments. This place will surely give you many moments of laugh with your family and friends.
Govt. Museum and Art Gallery, Museum of evolution of life, The Hidden Valley, Garden of fragrance, ISKCON, Pinjore gardens, Terraced garden are few other wonderful places to see.