Chandigarh was the dream city of India’s first Prime Minister, Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru. The first planned city in India was designed by the most famous French Architect Le Corbusier. Chandigarh was the best experiment and a prime example of modern architecture and urban planning in the 20th century. The history of Chandigarh has so many things that make the city beautiful.
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Few Highlights About the History of Chandigarh
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The city has beautiful locations at the foothills of Shivalik. There are many historical places in Chandigarh to visit. It is derived from the name of the beautiful temple, Chandi Mandir. ‘Chandi’ is derived from the name of Goddess Chandi, regarded as the most powerful Goddess
At the time of partition in 1947, Punjab was divided into two parts. At the time, Punjab’s capital was Lahore, which came under Pakistan after the division. It was in the western part of Punjab. The Eastern part of Punjab was offered to India. But there was a big problem, the Eastern part was not commercially administered, and there was no cultural centre. So, the Government of India decided to choose a suitable area in Punjab to make a capital. There were several options in front of the Indian Government, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Phillaur, Ludhiana, Ambala, Karnal, and Shimla. But they found the Chandigarh area to be the most suitable site. It was a magnificent site to develop a new capital. The area was located at the foot of the Himalayas. Chandigarh was a house of thousands of Hindus and Sikh refugees from primarily Muslim populated country Pakistan.
The area of Chandigarh connects three states Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal. On November 1, 1966, Chandigarh received the status of Union territory. This city is the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana. Its predominant languages are Punjabi and Hindi.
Contemporary City
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The dream city Chandigarh has a well-developed infrastructure and low population. This planned city has 60 rectangular sectors that perfectly divide the town. With broad roads, Chandigarh mostly remains free from traffic. All the government buildings sit in the Northern part of the city. In contrast, in the southeast, there is an industrial area; this area separates the residential area. This separation is made with the help of a Greenbelt planted with mango trees. Southern sectors of Chandigarh city are the populated areas. Hinduism is a predominant religious group in the city with a healthy population of Sikhs. You can find people from more religious groups like Muslims, Christianity, Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs in the city.
Educational and Cultural institutes
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There are many famous educational and cultural groups in Chandigarh such as:
- Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.
- Punjab University, founded in 1947
- Punjab Engineering College
- The Government College of Arts
- The Government Medical College and Hospital
- Local Museum Houses of Chandigarh has a great collection of Gandhara sculptures, Pahari, and Sikh Paintings
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The city is home to beautiful gardens; some of them are Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Garden of Fragrance, and Silence Garden. Sukhna Lake is another popular tourist attraction, which was once home to Harappans. This beautiful city comprises so much more that it is impossible to cover in an essay. While I shall continue writing more about Chandigarh, in the meanwhile, you guys must go out and explore the authenticity of your city.
