Happiest and Cleanest city of India-Erakina

Did you know that the city Chandigarh is the best-planned city in India, with architecture admired by the world? Let’s know about it thoroughly.

About the Northern city, Chandigarh

It is very interesting to know that Chandigarh is the best-planned city in India which was designed by famous French architect Le Corbusier. The city is also known for its modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.  

Have you ever wondered how this city got its name? Chandigarh is called so because of the ‘Chandi Mandir’. The word ‘Chandi’ here means the Goddess of Power and ‘Garh’ means the fort that is situated below the Chandi temple. It is located in the foothills of Shivalik.

Chandigarh is the Union Territory and also the capital of Punjab and Haryana. 

Many architects such as Narinder S Lamba, J C Verma, and Le Corbusier’s cousin, Pierre Jeanneret all contributed to building this beautiful city.

Climatic Conditions

Chandigarh has hot summer, cold dry winter, and subtropical monsoon. Mid-March to June, it sufferers summer season, the monsoon season from July to mid-September, post-monsoon from mid-September to the beginning of November, and from November to mid-march there is winter season. The hottest month of the year is May and June with temperature 45-degree Celsius and minimum 26-degree celsius. The city faces extreme cold weather from December to January. 111.07mm is the average annual rainfall.

History

If we go very back in the past, like in the ancient past, Chandigarh is now located where once a wide lake existed. 

It was the Chandigarh area where once the Harappan civilization developed, eight thousand years ago. The museum in Chandigarh holds the ancient history of the city. 

If we go a little back, in 1947, after the partition of India in 1947, the old British province of Punjab was broken down into two parts, the western part went to Pakistan and the eastern part was granted to India and lost the administrative, cultural and commercial center. Several cities were considered by the government to be selected as the capital of Punjab. The present site of Chandigarh was selected. It was considered magnificent beautifully situated at the foothills of the Himalayas. The city was believed to become a sign of modernity for the pride of Indian Punjabis and also a house for thousands of those Hindus and Punjabis who came from Pakistan. 

The construction of the city began in the 1950s and was completed around in 1960s.

The Open Hand Monument

This open hand monument was created by Le Corbusier, the architect who designed Chandigarh. It is 26 meters high(85 feet). The sculpture is located in sector 1 in the capitol complex of Chandigarh. This monument symbolizes the open exchange of ideas and thoughts or openness to share and receive ideas. The structure is designed in the manner that it moves with the wind. The hand-like structure is standing on a channel that moves with the stream of wind. The sculpture also symbolizes peace and unity.

Places you must visit in Chandigarh 

The Rock Garden is also known as Nek Chand Rock Garden named after the founder ‘Nek Chand’. The garden gained its popularity from the sculptures made up of recycled ceramic. 

If you are a lake lover you must visit Sukhna Lake once to have a wonderful experience. It was created in 1958.

It was inaugurated in 1953, a wonderful stadium with a capacity of 26,590 spectators.

The above-mentioned places are not what Chandigarh is all about, it’s something beyond it. If you are thinking of having a fun trip, Chandigarh is the best option for that, visiting Chandigarh is like experiencing a lot of adventures in a single place. If you are a garden lover then you must not think even twice to travel to Chandigarh. We can say it is a place of wonderful gardens such as Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Terraced Garden(the beauty of vibrant flowers), Pinjore Garden(full of hypnotic fountains), Garden of fragrance, Japanese Garden(artificial and natural beauty), Garden of silence(peaceful place). Botanical Garden(the beauty of greenery), bougainvillea Garden(pink beauty), Hibiscus Garden(full of trees). 

Culture and Tradition

• Sikh Jats are the dominant community of Chandigarh, mainly involved in agriculture. Other major communities are Khatris and Aroras. 
• The languages that are spoken in Chandigarh are Hindi, Punjabi, Haryanvi, and the official language English. 
• Basant Panchami, Festival of Garden, Baisakhi, Chandigarh carnival, Lohri, Teej, mango festival, Muktsar fair are the popular festivals celebrated in the city with full enthusiasm and togetherness. 
• As we all know North Indian cuisines are loved everywhere in India. Whenever we hear Tandoori Roti, Sarso ka Saag, Dal Makhani, Makki di Roti, Butter Chicken we just get lost in the taste of these delicious cuisines.

I hope I have mentioned some very crucial points which you would consider and visit this beautiful city once in your life. If the above information is not enough let me mention a few more. Chandigarh is a very less polluted city, with wide roads and the most important thing is it is a less traffic city. From Tagore Theatre for art lovers to Night Food Streets for food lovers, this city is for everyone.  Other than all this, small events, fare and star nights organized by the Chandigarh administration are like icing on the cake. Do visit this magnificent city and experience bombs of enjoyment.