One of the most important matches was played in Mohali last night, wasn’t it ironic that it was in Chandigarh? A city that sports an ‘Open Hand’ as its official emblem… its significance conveying a symbolic message of peace and unity that is “open to give, open to receive”!

While we welcome our neighbors from across the border with an ‘Open Hand’ here’s hoping to get them more accustomed to this beautiful city! From tourism to shopping here’s a city rightly nicknamed as “The City Beautiful”! Chandigarh derives its name from Chandi Mandir, a temple of goddess Chandi, located in Haryana. It is said if Varanasi symbolizes the spirit of ancient India, then Chandigarh is the city of ‘today’- the Mecca of modern architecture and planning all over the world.

Designed by the well-known French architect, Le Corbusier, this city has an unparalleled architecture. While Chandigarh is one of India’s seven Union Territories it also serves as a capital for two states, Punjab and Haryana, and has two satellite cities, Panchkula and Mohali.

Being a newly developed city, Chandigarh does not have many historic monuments or heritage sites to offer, but by no way does that stop tourists from visiting this city! From tree lined avenues to swanky malls and neatly arranged residential/ commercial areas… this spic and span city sure is a contrast to the rest of India!

One of the most visited tourists attraction is the monumental Capitol Complex at Sector 1. Standing at the foothills of the city, it dominates Chandigarh’s skyline and consists of three main edifices, namely the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly and the High Court, each interlocked to one another. Between the silhouettes of these magnificent edifices is juxtaposed the Chandigarh city’s most popular visible symbol: the Open Hand, a giant hand in metal sheet rising 85 feet high from a sunken trench and rotating freely in the wind to indicate the direction of wind. Further enhancing the Capital Complex, are several monuments along its main piazza including the Martyrs Memorial, the Tower of Shadows and the Geometrical Hill.

Another beautiful attraction is the man-made lake that lies in the foothills of Shivalik range. A 3 km long lake created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, this lake has gained popularity as a prime picnic spot because of its tranquil ambience and variety of water sports like boating, yachting and water skiing, etc. that can be pursued here.
Fascinating and a unique way to make even industrial waste look beautiful, try the rock garden here! Spread over an area of 12 acres it is a paradigm of creativity and innovation, created by a road inspector, Nek Chand, using industrial and urban wastes. Multicolored fragments of china and waste ceramics, coal and other disposables have been turned into creative patterns and textures here. From stone ducks to papier-mâché soldiers, armies of stone, pig -iron dancers and goblins, this garden is a must! No mention of Chandigarh is complete without a mention of its most celebrated creation- the Rock Garden.

Also home to Asia’s largest rose garden! Spreading over 30 acres of land, the rose garden in Chandigarh has nearly 1600 varieties of roses and is a complete delight during the rose festival, a place worth visiting for its amazing varieties of roses. Other picturesque gardens here include The Garden of Tranquility, Garden of Rare Plants, Garden of Annuals, the Bougainvillea Garden, Botanical Garden, and the Garden of Aromatic Plants that add to the beauty of this city!
While one can find cacti and succulent plants, this garden also contains several evergreen and exotic plants. Lying between the rock garden and Sukhna Lake, this garden spread on an area of 88 acres, is home to some gorgeous lotus flowers, rare species of plants and small lily pools. While the bougainvillea is home to 65 distinctive varieties of Bougainvillea shrubs the garden of Aromatic Plants houses some of the most fragrant plants like the Raat ki rani, demask rose, motia, Champa, Haar Shingar, mehndi and varieties of jasmine. Located between the Rose Garden and the Cricket Stadium in Sector 16, Shanti Kunj garden in Chandigarh is a place one should visit to enjoy the peace and quiet, a place free from any noise and pollution.

Besides gardens, Chandigarh is also known for its museums; the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Chandigarh tops the itinerary of its tourists and is known for its rich collection of Gandharan sculptures, Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings. Home to four wings, they include: the Art Gallery, the Natural History Museum, Chandigarh Architecture Museum and National Gallery of Portraits. One can also find a spacious reference library, which helps scholars and students to meet their intellectual needs here. Another interesting museum here is the Museum of Evolution of Life in Sector 10, which takes tourists back in time, a wonderful place which tells you all from the Indus Valley Civilization to the present day. If you are travelling with kids, then the International Dolls Museum in Sector 23 is a must for its interesting collection of dolls and puppets from all over the world covering the variant art of more than 25 countries.

For shopaholics, from plush shopping malls to swish arcades, elegantly lit fountains, sculptures, and groves of trees… shopping in Chandigarh is anything but typically Indian. Eateries, coffee houses, bars & pubs keep the shopper delightfully occupied with the main shopping market in Chandigarh being located at Sector 17, a place that becomes the most happening spot of the city every evening. While the city has a number of handicraft emporia, but there is as such no ‘traditional’ Chandigarh item to shop, look out for the famous tip-turned-up jootis, colourful Punjabi dupattas, local woolen wear, and delicious jams and juices from Himachal Pradesh.

And did you know that Chandigarh is a getaway for many an interesting destination? From Amritsar or Dehradun, Haridwar to Dalhousie or Dharamshala, Jalandhar to Manali or Kurukshetra, Chandigarh is not only a fascinating destination by itself; it also serves as a base for many scenic hill stations too, a city that truly deserves the much-used epithet – “The City Beautiful”.