Chandigarh – The City Beautiful
About Chandigarh
Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, as planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivalik, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.
Chandigarh derives its name from the temple of "Chandi Mandir" located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity 'Chandi', the goddess of power, and a fort of 'Garh' lying beyond the temple gave the city its name "Chandigarh-The City Beautiful".
Chandigarh is the first planned modern city of India designed by the legendary French Architect Le Corbusier. It serves as the joint capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana besides being a Union Territory.
The city has the highest per capita income in the country. Chandigarh has been rated as the “Wealthiest Town” of India. In terms of family wealth, it was rated as the sixth most prosperous city. Number 1 in the country in terms of Human Development Index
Also known as "City Beautiful", Chandigarh is a tourism paradise with Sukhna Lake, Rock garden, Rose garden, Government Museum, Art Gallery, and architectural marvel Capitol Complex.
The Master Plan of Chandigarh
1 - Le Corbusier conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to the human body, with a clearly defined head (the Capitol Complex, Sector 1), heart (the City Centre Sector-17), lungs (the leisure valley, innumerable open spaces, and sector greens), the intellect (the cultural and educational institutions), the circulatory system (the network of roads, the 7Vs) and the viscera (the Industrial Area). The concept of the city is based on four major functions: living, working, care of the body and spirit, and circulation.
2 - The Capital complex comprises three architectural masterpieces: the "Secretariat", the "High Court" and the "Legislative Assembly", separated by large piazzas. In the heart of the Capital Complex stands the giant metallic sculpture of The Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the city's credo of "open to given, open to receive".
3 - The city center (Sector 17) is the heart of Chandigarh's activities. It comprises the Inter-State Bus Terminus, Parade Ground, District Courts, etc. on one hand, and vast business and shopping center on the other. The 4-story concrete buildings house banks and offices above and showrooms/shops at the ground level with wide pedestrian concourses.
Tourist attractions of Chandigarh
§ Rock Garden:
§ Chandigarh has the distinction of having a unique world acclaimed Rock Garden. It consists of art objects, fashioned from industrial and urban waste. It is situated between the Capitol Complex and Sukhna Lake in Sector 1. It nestles amidst 20 acres of woods in the form of an open-air exhibition hall, theatre trove and a miniature maze all rolled into one vast fantasy land of art and landscape.
§ Rose Garden:
§ Named after India's former President, Zakir Hussain, the garden was established in 1967 under the guidance of Chandigarh's first Chief Commissioner late Dr. M S Randhawa. The largest Rose Garden in Asia, it is spread over an area of 27 acres and has more than 17,000 plants representing some 1,600 varieties of roses as well as several fountains.
§ Elante Mall:
§ Elante Mall is a shopping mall in the city of Chandigarh in India. With a gross leasable area of 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2), it is the 7th largest shopping mall in Northern India and the 10th largest in India. Elante is spread over an area of 20 acres.
§ Sector 17 Plaza:
§ The City Centre or Sector 17, as it is popularly called, is a juxtaposition of cuboid building blocks and open spaces. The piazzas liven up in the afternoon with the office crowds out to recharge themselves. In the evening's shoppers and tourists, enjoying ice creams or popcorns, sit on the steps of the "dove of peace" spout, where water cascades down from one level to another in geometrically shaped tanks, amidst the delightful play of colorful lights.
§ Sukhna Lake:
§ The manmade picturesque Sukhna Lake in the foothills of the Shivalik range is an idyllic place for quiet communion with nature and water sports activities such as boating, yachting, water skiing, etc. Sukhna is an inseparable part of the city. Le Corbusier had foreseen that the residents of the city would be drawn towards it for the 'care of the body and spirit'. The planners of the city will be thrilled to find that this beautiful gift to the city has extended its attraction beyond its boundaries.
§ Capitol Complex:
The Capitol Complex located in Sector 1 is the raison-d' etre for this city, the seat of the Government. Originally, it housed only the Government of Punjab but now it is the joint headquarters of Punjab and Haryana. This sector, set against the backdrop of Shivalik hills, was entirely developed by Le Corbusier. The complex consists of the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and the High Court.
Park Areas
Ample areas have been provided in the master plan of the Capital for parks. Out of a total area of 20,000 acres acquired for the first phase, about 2000 acres are meant for the development of parks. Leisure Valley, Rajendra park, Bougainvillea Park, Zakir Rose Garden, Shanti Kunj, Hibiscus Garden, Garden of Fragrance, Botanical Garden, Smriti Upavan, Topiary garden, and Terraced Garden are some of the famous parks of Chandigarh.
Education
Panjab University is among the top universities in India
Two prestigious Engineering Colleges with 400 Engineers passing out every year
PGI ME&R- Prestigious Medical Research Institute of the country is situated in this city
Colleges in the Science, Commerce, and Humanities fields
One Architecture College
One College of Fine Arts adds to the high-value education institutes in the city.
Health Care
§ General Hospital Sector 16 has been upgraded to General Multi Speciality Hospital, to provide quality health care to the underprivileged.
§ General Medical College & Hospital Sector 32 and General Multi Speciality Hospital Sector 16 would be looking after the primary and secondary health care needs.
§ PGI ME&R would be upgraded to a world-class Referral Hospital, where only complicated medical cases would be referred from the Region.
§ A Complete study of the integration of the Health Care systems has been made by Director, PGI ME&R and the same has been sent to the Government of India.
§ This study has also identified the need for another Medical Education Centre, and a project for Rs 240 Cr has been prepared which will be implemented under the PPP model.
§ A massive drive has been started to ensure that all children are given the benefit of our medical system and this drive will cover 1.5 lakh children.
§ To tackle the problem of malnutrition, the whole mid-day meal scheme has been revamped, starting with Non recognized schools with 50000 students and gradually this scheme will be extended to the 104 Government schools as well. The daily expenditure per child is Rs. 7 out of which the GOI subsidy component is Rs. 1.50. Some of our Institutes and Corporations have been given the responsibility of partially funding this endeavor.
§ Tele-medicine project has been undertaken to integrate the IT services with the medical services.
In a Nut-Shell -
Chandigarh is a place where every visitor wants to buy a home and settle down. The city has a Green, Clean, Modern, Peaceful, and Safe Environment. Chandigarh is a dream city for numerous people. The city offers top-class, Health, Education, and Living Facilities.