Chandigarh

Chandigarh is situated near the foothills of the Shivalik mountain range of the Himalayas in northwest India. It is bordered by the states of Punjab to the North, the West and the South, and Haryana to the East. Chandigarh is city and a union territory in India that serve as a capital of Punjab and Haryana.  People here speak  Hindi or Punjabi or a combination of both but Punjabi is the official language of Chandigarh.

The name Chandigarh is a compound of Chandi and Garh. Chandi refers to the Hindu goddess “Chandi” and Garh means fortress. Thus, Chandigarh means fort of Goddess Chandi. In actuality, the name is derived from the Temple of  Goddess Chandi  that is situated near the city in Panchkula District. Chandigarh along with two of its neighboring cities of Mohali and Panchkula, collectively referred as the Chandigarh Tricity.

According to early history, the place was inhabited by the Harappans around 8000 years ago. During medieval times, It was part of the large and prosperous Punjab province which was divided into East and West Punjab in 1947, after independence from British rule. After partition in 1947, East Punjab required a new capital city to replace Lahore which became part of Pakistan. Therefore, Chandigarh was planned in order to give Punjab a new capital. The city was  built under the guidance and orders of prominent officers and the Prime Minister of India.  

Chandigarh was the first ever planned city in India which was the dream city of the first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that was designed by the Swiss – French architect Le Corbusier.  In 2016, Chandigarh Capitol Complex was declared by UNESCO as World Heritage.  UNESCO inscription was under “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier an outstanding contribution to the Modern Movement”. 

Chandigarh is also called “The City Beautiful” due to its eco-friendly landscapes and well planned infrastructure. The city is known for its beautiful architecture and buildings like the High Court, Secretariat, legislative Assembly and Open Hand Monuments,  it is also famous for its greenery and clean roads. Chandigarh has also been credited as being the third cleanest city in the country under Swachh Bharat survey of 2018.

Chandigarh, a union territory, has a vibrant culture that has a mixture of Punjabi as well as modern tradition. Bhangra and Gidda are famous traditional dances that are performed at times of celebration, including festivals, harvests, and weddings. As it is a multicultural city, the costumes here are similar to that of people in other parts of the states. However during important events or festivals, men love to wear sherwani and women wear salwar kameez or saari or lehenga choli. 

The traditional food in Chandigarh is typical Punjabi. Like typical Punjabi dishes ghee and butter are used in cooking extensively. Some of the popular dishes of Chandigarh are such as  Kadhi pakora, Punjabi Chhole, dal makhani, butter chicken, stuffed Kulchas, lassi, makki ki roti & saag, and Paneer tikka.  

People of Chandigarh celebrate Lohri ,Baisakhi, Holi, Gurpurb, Rakhri, Diwali, Rose festival, mango festival and many more. 

The city offers several interesting tourists places such as Rose Garden, Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake and Pinjore Garden for Nature lovers; Government Museum and Art Gallery, and Capitol Complex for those who love to explore the art and architecture; the International Dolls Museum, Children Traffic Park and Fun city for those who visiting with children. In addition to this, tourists can visit Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary and Chhatbir zoo which is home to a large variety of birds, mammals and reptiles; other points of interest where tourists can sit and relax.

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