Chandigarh Travel Guide

The City Centre-or 'Seventeen', as it is popularly called, offers an organized arrangement of square building blocks and open spaces. The Piazza livens up in the afternoon with the office crowds out to recharge themselves. In the evenings shoppers and tourists, enjoying an icecream or popcorns, sit on the steps of the "dove of peace" sput, where water cascades down from one level to another in geometrically shaped tanks, amidst the delightful play of colourful lights.

The Leisure Valley, the Fitness Trails, the Botanical and terraced gardens, the hibiscus and topiary parks and other gardens along the green belt, that pass through the city, offer a quiet retreat at all hours of the day, orchestrating life's subtler impulses and heightening the spiritual experience and contribute to its serene character.

Even a drive through the city is a lively experience with its pleasant sites, green rolling belts, attractively designed facades of residential areas, the landscaped roundabouts with their own structural elements, and floral layouts and, of course, the majestic view of the Shivalik hill range.

No wonder the residents of Chandigarh are so attuned to quality of life, that this city has to offer, that they find their short forays to other metros a night - marish experince.

For its residents, Chandigarh is the most lovable city to live in and is a near addiction. The visitors view it as their most cherished experience, where one can lose oneself in its sauve serenity and gain spiritual insight.

Tourist Attractions in Chandigarh

Leisure Valley
Leisure Valley runs through the entire length of the city, 8 kms long, about 400 metres broad at its widest points, oriented north-east to south-west following the course of an existing seasonal stream. Sections of Leisure Valley are known by the following separate names.

Bougainvillea Garden
Open on all days. 20 acres, Sector 10
The garden is devoted to hundreds of bougainvillea varieties. The creepers cover a wide assortment of arches, bowers, pavilions and arcades. Fitness Trails wind through this garden, designed to give each person who completes the route a complete exercise regimen by the time they reach the end. The annual Bougainvillea Show is held here.

Sukhna Lake
A manmade lake spread over 3 square kilometers on the northern border of the city. At the entrance to the park one reads Corbusier's Edict of the Lake."The founders of Chandigarh have offered this lake and dam to the citizens of the new city so that they may escape the humdrum of the city life and enjoy the beauty of nature in peace and silence". The tree-shaded promenade around the lake is a favorite spot to stroll and enjoy the tranquil ambience. Paddle-boats and yachting are another pleasant diversion....or one may simply relax at the cafe run by the Chandigarh Tourism Development Corporation.

Government Museum and Art Gallery
An important building designed by Le Corbusier, in the moving spirit behind its eventual construction in 1968 was Dr. M.S. Randhawa, Chandigarh's first Chief Commissioner, and himself an art scholar. Ratna Mathur Fabri, an outstanding Indian designer made the museum furniture, display screens, showcases and frames. The present museum (earlier housed in temporary quarters) opened on May 6,1968.In 1949 the collection of the Central Museum, Lahore, was divided between India and Pakistan. India's share, the core collection of this museum, included 619 Gandhara sculptures and 92 ancient sculptures from other periods, as well as 447 miniature paintings (mainly from the Punjab Hills but with some Persian, Mughal and Rajasthani works in addition). Besides there were small collection of objects in stucco and terra cotta metal, ivory, lacquer, ceramic, enamel and fabric.

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