Chandigarh, the present capital city of the States of both Punjab and Haryana is the first planned city of India. However, it does not belong to either of the States. It is a Union Territory, administered by the Government of India.

         

Nek Chand’s Rock Garden

This Rock Garden is probably Chandigarh’s premier attraction, a popular spot for tourists. It was created by Nek Chand Saini, a resident of the city, in 1958. He used discarded objects of everyday use like bottles, tin cans, broken plugs, plates, saucers and rocks from the nearby Shivalik mountains to create a 40-acre fantasy labyrinth garden with arched walkways, streams, bridges, grottos, battlements, turrets and sculptures of people and animals. Highlights include armies of stone ducks, papier-mache soldiers, pig iron dancers and goblins.

Sukhna lake

Also in Sector 1, the Sukhna Lake is an artificial reservoir. The Sukhna Lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream that flows down from the Shivaliks. Storks and cranes make migratory stops at the lake. The lake, incidentally, has Asia’s longest water channel for rowing and yachting.

Capital Complex

This area, with its monumental public buildings is the site of architect Le Corbusier’s most ambitious experiments. The concrete campus and its accompanying lawns are meant to express the strength and unity of independent India. They are also Le Corbusier’s way of staging the functions of government in symbolic and geometric relation to one another and to the rest of the city. For tourists, the High Court and the Open Hand Monument are more accessible than the Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat.

International Dolls Museum

Situated in Bal Bhawan, Sector 23, the international dolls museum contains more than 300 dolls from nearly every country in the world. Ten ceramic murals and a large model train complete the display.

Rock Garden

No description of Chandigarh city can be complete without a mention of its most celebrated creations-the Rock Garden. Spread over 12 acres of wooded land near the Capitol Complex the Rock Garden of Chandigarh is the creation of a humble road inspector called Nek Chand. The urban waste material turned into creative patterns and textures, mute rocks turned into art objects attract tourists to Chandigarh. A visit to the Rock Garden is a must for all the tourists traveling to Chandigarh.