Discover Chandigarh

The Union Territory of Chandigarh lies at the foot of the Shivalik mountain ranges. Chandigarh brings together a striking chapter of modernism, extensive green spaces and collections of various kinds. The Capitol Complex, Sukhna Lake, several gardens and museums offer different possible focal points for your trip—from architecture and landscape to cultural history.

Modern architecture and an unusual garden

The Capitol Complex in Chandigarh reflects the solutions developed by the Modern Movement in the 20th century to address architectural and social challenges. It comprises the Assembly, the Secretariat and the High Court. For architecture enthusiasts, this combination of architectural and social questions offers a particularly distinctive way into the complex.

The Rock Garden takes a different design approach. Nek Chand began it secretly in his spare time in 1957. The garden covers 40 acres and was built entirely from industrial and household waste and discarded objects. Two different approaches therefore stand side by side: the Capitol Complex reflects modernist responses to architectural and social challenges, while reused materials shape the Rock Garden.

Lake and green spaces

Sukhna Lake is a reservoir at the foot of the Shivalik Hills in the Himalayas. The rain-fed lake covers 3 km² and was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe. Its origins distinguish it from the landscaped gardens: here, damming and rainfall are part of the lake’s history.

Leisure Valley is a linear park more than 8 km long. It begins in Sector 1 and leaves Chandigarh at the southern edge in Sector 53. Leisure Valley is also a continuous sequence of different themed gardens that serve the city’s physical and mental well-being. Rather than a single garden, the focus here is on a succession of different designed spaces.

The individual gardens can also be distinguished by their area. The Botanical Garden of Chandigarh covers 176 acres and is located near the villages of Sarangpur, Lahora and Dhanas. The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden covers 30 acres and contains 50,000 rose bushes representing 1,600 different varieties. By area, the Botanical Garden is considerably larger; the description also notes the Rose Garden’s extensive rose collection and the number of varieties.

Museums and remembrance

The Government Museum and Art Gallery preserves collections of Gandharan sculpture and Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings, and contains approximately 13,000 objects. The International Dolls Museum in Chandigarh displays historic dolls from around 32 countries. The collections have different focuses: sculptures and miniature paintings in one, historic dolls from many countries in the other.

Another point of historical significance is the War Memorial in Bougainvillea Garden. It commemorates nearly 8,459 soldiers from the Army, Air Force and Navy who have fallen since 1947. Its location in the garden connects a military memorial theme with one of Chandigarh’s green spaces.

Roads and visitor planning

The Union Territory of Chandigarh has a well-developed road network. National Highway 21 (Ambala–Kinnaur) and National Highway 22 (Chandigarh–Leh) are considered the main road links connecting Chandigarh with the rest of the country. As road numbers or classifications may change, check the current route before making a specific journey.

To visit the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, an application or letter of request for an entry permit must be submitted to the Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Check this requirement again before your trip.

Tailor your search to your own interests in Chandigarh.

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