Poonam Binayak | 10 July 2023
A guide to Chandigarh, India
In the wake of India’s 1947 partition, an architect was brought in to build a city from scratch that captured this exciting era. Even today, it still feels groundbreaking...
In the wake of India’s 1947 partition, an architect was brought in to build a city from scratch that captured this exciting era. Even today, it still feels groundbreaking...
Chandigarh, located in India’s far north, near the foothills of the mighty Himalaya, is a city that has the pleasing habit of upending all expectations. Thanks to a quirk of history, it was created as a kind of Modernist calling card, consisting of a grid of civic precincts, large parks and long roads. How this marvel of urban development became the showpiece city of post-partition India is a tale worth telling.
The origins of Chandigarh can be traced back to 1947, when the partition of British India divided Punjab between India and Pakistan. With Lahore, the existing state capital, ceded to Pakistan, the Indian half required a replacement. To that end, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India, commissioned the creation of a brand-new ‘planned city’, one that would leave behind all colonial baggage and become a symbol of India’s emergence as a modern, democratic, progressive nation.
To build his bold metropolis, Nehru tapped up American architect-planner Albert Mayer and Polish architect Matthew Nowicki in 1949. The duo’s plan involved designing superblocks replete with green spaces that blended seamlessly with the natural terrain. However, with Nowicki’s untimely death, Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, was drawn into the project instead.
Architect-planner Le Corbusier sought to make each of the government buildings that made up the Capitol Complex unique and bring out the essence of their function (Alamy Stock Photo)
The view from the Secretariat building (Alamy Stock Photo)
Le Corbusier harboured a distinct vision for the city, perceiving it as a human body. In his blueprint, the government complex took the centre stage as the head, the commercial area represented the heart, the green open spaces the lungs, while academic institutions and industrial areas were limbs, with roads criss-crossing them like arteries and veins. His innovative rectangular grid design fostered self-contained units, dividing the city into numbered sectors whose different eras show a change in ethos as urban design evolved across the decades.
In 1953, Nehru’s forward-looking utopian dream city was finally inaugurated. To this day it still astonishes. And when you need a respite from architecture, nature is never far away. The city’s planners placed great importance on incorporating natural elements, creating broad tree-lined boulevards and parks in every sector. These green spaces are not just an aesthetic feature but also serve as a natural filter for the air. Chandigarh is the first city that ever truly breathed.
Chandigarh is the joint capital of the agrarian northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Following the bifurcation of Punjab in the mid-1960s, the city, situated at the border of Punjab and Haryana, was designated as a union territory, serving as the capital for both states. Another curious fact is that during the construction of Chandigarh, Le Corbusier omitted Sector 13 from his plans because he considered the number to be inauspicious. However, in 2020, more than a half-century after its construction, Sector 13 was added to the union territory, with residential hub Mani Majra receiving the coveted designation.
The focal point of Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh is the Capitol Complex in Sector 1, which represents the conceptual ‘head’ of the city. Walking through this sprawling government compound, which was given UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2016, is like stepping into a living museum of mid-century Modernist and Brutalist architecture. It features monumental concrete structures, geometric patterns and clean lines that speak to the principles of Modernism.
Completed in 1961, the pièce de résistance of the complex is the administrative zone comprising the three pillars of democracy: the Palace of Assembly (or Legislative Assembly), the Secretariat (headquarters of the Punjab and Haryana municipal governments) and the High Court (aka Palace of Justice). The eight-storey Secretariat building boldly defies the constraints of conventional office design and showcases an exceptional fusion of form and function, with strategically positioned windows that maximise natural light and airflow. The High Court, on the other hand, is a bold geometric edifice that boasts a vibrant rainbow facade and a unique double roof that serves as a protective parasol, warding off both rain and sun.
The High Court’s reflecting pool and double-cantilevered roof, which acts as a parasol, was designed by Le Corbusier to offer precious shade and cool so that governors could work year round in the city (Alamy Stock Photo)
The star of the trio, however, is the Palace of Assembly, which is home to the legislatures of both Punjab and Haryana. It is also worth seeing both inside and out. From the acoustic cloud-shaped panels within its walls to the series of concrete columns rising up to the marvellous U-shaped roof, which is reflected in the pool below, it is one of the best examples of architectural Modernism in India. Its entrance also has giant murals by none other than Le Corbusier.
Inside the hallowed halls of these government buildings, visitors can feast their eyes on an array of large woollen tapestries. And between the High Court and Assembly lies a pedestrian plaza dotted with astounding monuments and sculptures. Of these, the Open Hand Monument is truly exceptional and is silhouetted against a backdrop of the Shivalik mountains, a branch of the outer Himalaya. This 26m-high birdlike sculpture is meticulously designed to move with the direction of the wind and was intended as a potent symbol of pacifism – a timeless and universal message that still resonates today.
Also gracing the plaza’s expanse is the Martyrs’ Monument, which commemorates the brave souls who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Indian independence. In addition, you will find the open-sided Tower of Shadows pavilion, which manipulates sunlight in fascinating ways, and the Geometric Hill, which is adorned with an abstract mural of a sundial, adding a touch of whimsy. The Capital Complex can only be visited on a guided tour; book online at chandigarhtourism.gov.in
The Gandhi Bhawan building at Panjab University was built by Pierre Jeanneret as a way of presenting his principles of ‘Indian Modernism’ – his design was said to draw on the shape of the pinwheel toys favoured by local children (Alamy Stock Photo)
While Le Corbusier designed flamboyant government buildings, Pierre Jeanneret, his cousin and right-hand man, was the driving force behind the residential sector of the city. He fashioned homes that were simple yet practical and sustainable, enriched with architectural elements rooted in the local vernacular, featuring exposed brick, stone and unfinished concrete surfaces. He also drew upon time-honoured techniques, such as perforated screens, to add privacy and ventilation to these homes. Jeanneret’s creative vision, however, transcended residential dwellings. His magnum opus is Panjab University in Sector 14, where he built a diverse range of iconic structures. Visitors can take a walk around the campus and marvel at the lotus-like roof of the Gandhi Bhawan building, situated amid a vast body of water, as well as the red-sandstone Fine Arts Museum, the imposing University Library and the spiral-shaped Student Centre.
For a deep dive into the work of Le Corbusier, visit the Le Corbusier Centre in Sector 19B. It is chock-full of exhibits on the city’s buildings and the celebrated architect’s life. On display are sketches, rare and vintage photographs, documents, mid-century furniture, detailed maps and original letters dating back to the birth of the city.
Art lovers should make a beeline for the Le Corbusier-designed Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10C. Here you will discover thousands of years of sculptures, miniature paintings, 18th- and 19th-century manuscripts, textiles and contemporary Indian art. The showstopper of the collection is the Gandhara Buddha sculptures in Indo-Hellenistic style. A short stroll west will take you to the Chandigarh Architecture Museum, which tells the story of the city’s creation and evolution via letters and government memos. The museum also has an impressive collection of photographs and plans from its design stage, as well as building and city models. But hogging the limelight are the samples of Pierre Jeanneret’s crafted wooden furniture.
The Le Corbusier Centre is home to many of the architect’s early sketches (Alamy Stock Photo)
Not to be missed while in the city is the former home of Pierre Jeanneret, which is now a museum (Sector 5). A harmonious blend of timeless and modern design elements, the museum features cement floors, stone walls, a spiral staircase and big windows that let in bags of natural light, giving it an open and airy feel. Downstairs, the walls are adorned with photographs chronicling the architect’s life and work. Upstairs, you will find his bedroom – a minimalist masterpiece. Before departing, cast your eyes to the porch behind the residence, where a structure that somewhat resembles a canoe, designed by Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, lies in all its glory.
Near to the Capitol Complex lies the Rock Garden, a whimsical wonderland fashioned from the debris of nearly 50 villages that were razed to make way for the construction of the city, along with a motley assortment of found objects: concrete and steel drums, shattered plates, fused fluorescent tubes, broken bathroom fixtures, stones, rocks, neon strip lights, ceramic tiles, soda bottle caps, old pottery, oil cans, colourful glass bangles and scraped rubber tyres. The visionary behind this artistic masterpiece was Nek Chand, a humble roads inspector who passed away in 2015. Over a period of two decades, starting in 1957, he meticulously created the garden, working under the cover of darkness to keep his pet project a secret lest it be destroyed by the authorities. By the time his miniature kingdom was finally discovered, it covered five hectares with hundreds of sculptures.
Nek Chand’s Rock Garden originally had to be created in secrecy due to it being built in a forest clearing on city land (Alamy Stock Photo)
The open-air exhibition spans 16 hectares (Shutterstock)
Despite its illicit construction, the authorities eventually embraced the project and lent their support to Chand, helping him expand it to its current size. Today, this open-air exhibition spans over 16 hectares and includes a network of interconnected gardens housing man-made waterfalls, mosaic walls, plenty of places to relax and more than 2,000 sculptures. These include wide-eyed totemic human figures, Indian gods, dancing dolls, castles, towers, animals and other fantastical creatures.
Leisure Valley, a linear park spanning 8km in Sector 10B, is Chandigarh’s green lung and features trails that can be explored on foot or by two wheels. There are also water fountains, recreational facilities for sports, yoga and meditation, and an array of themed areas that include rose, botanical, hibiscus and topiary gardens. Another popular green space in Chandigarh is the artificially created Sukhna Lake, which lies just to the south of the Capitol Complex. Visitors can stroll through the immaculately kept ornamental gardens, indulge in delectable refreshments and take to the tranquil waters of the lake aboard rented pedal boats for a leisurely outdoor experience that is unlike any other that you will find in the city.
Chandigarh’s Leisure Valley (Shutterstock)
The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden was set up in 1967 (Alamy Stock Photo)
This three-day event is held every year in either the last week of November or the first week of December at Leisure Valley (Sector 10B). Check out the free and ticketed programme of live folk performances, music, theatre, art exhibitions and parades featuring elaborate floats. There’s incredible food to replenish your energy and even a small amusement park.
Roses have held a special place in India’s culture for centuries, serving both religious and medicinal purposes. This festival, held over three days in February at Zakir Hussain Rose Garden (Sector 16), is filled with artful displays of hundreds of varieties of roses, from classic hybrids to modern cultivars. Food stalls, light and sound shows, photography competitions and folk-music performances are all part of the festival.
This annual event is a platform for farmers, producers and food lovers to come together and celebrate India’s national fruit: the mango. Held during the summer months, when mangoes are at their ripest, the festival showcases the many diverse varieties of the fruit from across the country. It also features a plethora of cultural festivities and activities, including tastings and mango-eating competitions.
Within easy driving distance of the city’s shopping precinct (Sector 17) but removed enough to offer a bit of quiet, the JW Marriott has plenty of five-star amenities to lure travellers, including a brewhouse, bakery, spa and rooftop pool. But it’s the rooms that steal the show. Their interiors incorporate natural materials, such as sycamore wood and travertine, that align with the city’s design ethos, and its picture windows offer fine views of the Himalaya foothills. marriott.com
This modern property swaps the noise of downtown for a calm location east of the city, not far from Sukhna Lake and Chandigarh International Airport. It is great for a flying visit to the ‘City Beautiful’, with rooms and suites that cater to comfort, thanks to their orthopaedic mattresses, black-out curtains and sound insulation. The facilities include a restaurant, a bar and a stress-relieving spa and rooftop pool from which to soak up the city in peace. lemontreehotels.com
Getting there: Travellers typically arrive in Chandigarh via Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Air India, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Vistara all offer daily non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Delhi, taking around nine hours and costing from £602 return. From there, hour-long connections to Chandigarh’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport are available on Alliance Air and Vistara.
Carbon calculator: A return flight from London to Chandigarh via Delhi produces around 610kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For more advice on carbon offsetting, read here.
By train: You can also go part of the way by rail. The newly launched Vande Bharat Express (No 22447) is a semi-high-speed train that links Delhi and Chandigarh in under three hours; it does not run on Fridays. Another option is the Shatabdi Express (No 12045) that leaves New Delhi Station at 7.15pm and arrives at 10.35pm. Book tickets in advance at stations or via the government-run booking site IRCTC, or with Make My Trip. Visit the tourism board website for more details.
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