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Chandigarh Information

Introduction to Chandigarh

Chandigarh is the first planned modern city of India designed by the French architect Le Corbusier. Chandigarh is a city in India that serves as the capital of two states - Punjab and Haryana. However, the city does not belong to either state. Rather, the city is administered by the federal government and hence classified as a union territory.

Chandigarh and the area surrounding it were constituted as a union territory on 1st November, 1966. The city was named after the mother goddess of power, Chandi, whose temple Chandimandu is a feature of the new city. Le-Corbusier was assisted by his cousin, Pieree Jeanneret and the English couple E. Mazwell Fry and Jane B. Druel. These three architects are responsible for most of the public and residential building raised in Chandigarh between 1950 and 1965. The beautiful city also known as ‘city of roses’.

Geography of Chandigarh

Chandigarh is bounded on the north and west by Punjab and east and south by Haryana. Total area of the union territory is 114 Sq. Km. It is located in Latitude 76.420 to 76.510 North Longitude 30.400 to 30. 460 East.

Brief History of Chandigarh

Chandigarh was commissioned by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, to reflect the new nation’s modern, progressive outlook. The new city was needed not only to serve as a capital but also to resettle thousands of refugees who had been uprooted from West Punjab. India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru enthusiastically supported the project and look sustained interest in its execution.

Chandigrah is a city symbolic of the freedom of India and an expression of the nation's faith in the future.

Several buildings in Chandigarh were designed by the French architect and planner, Le Corbusier in the 1950s. Le Corbusier was in fact the second architect of the city, after the initial master plan was prepared by the American architect-planner Albert Mayer who was working with the Polish-born architect Matthew Nowicki. It was only after Nowicki’s untimely death in 1950 that Le Corbusier was pulled into the project.

Government of Chandigarh

Chandigarh is an Union Territory. It means that the City is under the direct administration of the Government of India .

Economy of Chandigarh

Earlier, Chandigarh did not include an industrial area, it was later realised that industries would boost the economy of the city and help it grow. Today, there are some 580 factories in the city, including 15 large or medium scale units and 2100 small-scale units.

The major industries are food products, metal products, machine tools, electrical goods, transport equipment, pharmaceuticals, leather goods and plastic goods. Many of the small-scale units are ancillary units supplying the large industries around Chandigarh.

The city has set up a new information technology park for the establishment of modern information technology based companies.

Travel Information of Chandigarh

Chandigarh has convenient location, it serves as sort of a gateway to the hill stations of Himachal Pradesh.

People travel to Chandigarh to approach northwards to places like Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Dharamsala and Dalhousie. However, Chandigarh, the city itself is also a lure to the tourists by virtue of its geometrically shaped residential areas complimented by landscaped gardens, tree lined avenues - all converging to an outstanding balance in blending of modern and traditional architecture in the city. Apart from that the beautiful Sukhna Lake, the exquisite rose garden - Zakir Gulab Bag, the fascinating Rock Garden, the sacred temple of the Goddess Chandi are truly worth a travel to Chandigarh.

People of Chandigarh are secular in nature. They believe in celebrating almost all the festivals with proper rites and rituals. Some of the famous religious places in and around Chandigarh are ‘Mansa Devi Temple’, ‘Saketri Temple’, ‘Gurudwara Nada Sahib’, ‘Gurudwara Baoli Sahib’, ‘Jama Masjid’, etc.

Education in Chandigarh

Chandigarh is known for its high literacy rate of 97%. Its popular schools and colleges include St. John’s High School, St. Anne’s Convent School, St. Xavier’s, Sacred Heart Convent High School, Carmel Convent High School, New Public School, St. Kabir High School, St. Stephens High School, DAV School, Shiwalik Public School, Government College for Girls, Government College for Men, Home Science College for Girls, Guru Govind Singh College, Government Teacher Training College (Chandigarh, India),Government Teacher Training College, MCM College (Girls), SD College and DAV College.

There are model schools set up by the government in various sectors, originally aimed to cater the needs of each sector.

It is a major study hub for students all over Punjab, Harayana and Himachal Pradesh, and students from South-East Asia

Chandigarh also houses many institutes of higher learning, such as the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh Engineering College, located just outside Chandigarh in Mohali, the Panjab University in sector 14, and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Research.

Food of Chandigarh

Chole-bathure, which is a round-the-year item and is available at every wayside dhaba anywhere in northern India is the most famous dish of Chandigarh. Nevertheless, the pride of the Punjabi winter cuisine is sarson-ka-saag served with blobs of white butter accompanied by makke-di-roti and lassi.

The other popular dishes, which belong exclusively to Punjab, are mah ki dal, rajma and stuffed parathas.

Punjabi cuisine is characterized by a profusion of dairy products in the form of malai, paneer and curds.

Chicken is a favorite with non-vegetarians, fish is also considered a delicacy, especially in the Amritsar region, which is also known for its kulcha, baked bread made of refined flour.

Lassi, made of yogurt, tempered with either salt or sugar, is a popular cooling drink of Punjabi origin but it is now quite popular all over the country.

Phirni, a sweet dish made of milk, rice flour and sugar and chilled in earthenware bowls is a typical Punjabi dessert. Punjabi sweet dishes like gulab jamuns and burfi have a major percentage of khoya again made from milk.

Then there is also paneer, a must in the vegetarian Punjabi menu. Several delectable items are made out of this rather bland derivative of milk. Creations like the Kadai Paneer, and Makhani Paneer are basically Punjabi but are well loved all over the country.

One thing that makes Punjabi cuisine so special is the tandoor. Besides being a versatile kitchen equipment it is also a social institution. Punjab’s other grand contribution is the dhaba, the roadside eatery that has become a prominent feature on the national and state highways. Earlier frequented only by truck drivers, today it is in vogue to eat at a dhaba-urban or roadside.

Arts & Culture of Chandigarh

Chandigarh has numerous temples, mosques, shrines and bhawans located through out the city. The traditions followed in the city are a mix of many traditions followed through out the country. One can see and participate in almost, all of the religious activities of every religion in the country People of Chandigarh speak in Punjabi or Hindi or a combination of the two.

Chandigarh differs from many other cities of the region in that it has attracted people from throughout the India. Most of the people in Chandigarh are service people. There is a cultural complex in sector 10 of Chandigarh which include an Audio-Visual Training Institute, a Museum and an Art Gallery.

World acclaimed Rock Garden, with the artistic figures and things created by Shri Nek Chand, from broken pieces of items like crockery, bangles, pots, stones etc., is a unique example of art work. Chandigarh has the latest of everything be it fashion, technology, studies, IT.

People in Chandigarh enjoy every moment of their lives by living hassel free life. The chandigarh, being a modern city, has developed a modern culture of it self. Being the capital of two states. It has developed a fusion of culture. You can find very conservative people, and few very broad minded people.

Chandigarh, The Planned City

Planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier, Chandigarh was conceived as a city of “Sun, Space and Verdure” to fulfill four basic functions of living, working, circulation, and care of body and spirit.

The master plan having rectangles called sectors, which are intended to be self-sufficient neighborhood units, enclosed by fast-moving traffic roads. In fact, a salient feature of the city plan is its novel movement system, which has a hierarchy of streets for different types of traffic. A number of city parks have been planned for the care of the body and spirit.

The sun-bathed piazzas of the city, its neat housing clusters and the broad tree-lined avenues are visible manifestations of the planning precepts.

No wonder Chandigarh is often called the “City Beautiful” or the “Garden City” - both fond epithets given to it by its residents.

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