Chandigarh, India
Chandigarh, the capital of the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, and for many thousands the capital of Indian Yoga. Designed by modernist architect Le Corbusier. His modernist buildings include the Capitol Complex with its High Court, Secretariat and Legislative Assembly, plus the giant Open Hand Monument. The nearby Rock Garden is a park featuring sculptures made of stones, recycled ceramics and industrial relics.
Chandigarh is a place to see India as it would like to be seen – prosperous, comfortable and cosmopolitan. Officially a Union Territory controlled by the central government, Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. It is also the first planned city of independent India. When the Swiss architect Le Corbusier was commissioned in 1950, he conceived a people-oriented city of sweeping boulevards, lakes and gardens and grand civic buildings, executed in his favourite material, reinforced concrete. So Chandigarh came into being; turn the clocks forward 60 years and the parks, monuments and civic squares are still here, albeit aged somewhat. Each sector of the city is self-contained and pedestrian-friendly. Most visitors concentrate their attention on Sector 17 (for shops and restaurants) and Sector 22 (for hotels).
Visit India, Epic India Route © Monika Newbound
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