About Chandigarh

Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.

Chandigarh derives its name from the temple of "Chandi Mandir" located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity 'Chandi', the goddess of power and a fort of 'garh' laying beyond the temple gave the city its name "Chandigarh-The City Beautiful".

The city has a pre-historic past. The gently sloping plains on which modern Chandigarh exists, was in the ancient past, a wide lake ringed by a marsh. The fossil remains found at the site indicate a large variety of aquatic and amphibian life, which was supported by that environment. About 8000 years ago the area was also known to be a home to the Harappans.

Since the medieval through modern era, the area was part of the large and prosperous Punjab Province which was divided into East & West Punjab during partition of the country in 1947. The city was conceived not only to serve as the capital of East Punjab, but also to resettle thousands of refugees who had been uprooted from West Punjab.

In March, 1948, the Government of Punjab, in consultation with the Government of India, approved the area of the foothills of the Shivaliks as the site for the new capital. The location of the city site was a part of the erstwhile Ambala district as per the 1892-93 gazetteer of District Ambala. The foundation stone of the city was laid in 1952. Subsequently, at the time of reorganization of the state on 01.11.1966 into Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pardesh, the city assumed the unique distinction of being the capital city of both, Punjab and Haryana while it itself was declared as a Union Territory and under the direct control of the Central Government.

Fact File

The basic geographical and demographic profile of Chandigarh is as under:

Area 114 sq kms Longitude 760 47' 14E Latitude 300 44' 14N Altitude 304-365 meters above MSL with 1% drainage gradient Annual Rainfall (average) 1110.7 mm Monsoon July-September Temperature Winter Min. (Nov.-Jan, 2006) 10 C-160 C Summer Max. (April-July, 2004) 270C-440C Prevalent Winds From the North West to South East in Winter and reverse in Summer Total Population (2001 census) 9,00,635 (Rural population-92120 (10.2%) (Urban population-808515 (89.8%) Density of population/sq. km. 7,900 Birth Rate (per 1000) 21.45 (2005) Death Rate (per 1000) 10.22 (2005) Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000) 44.13 Sex Ratio (females per 1000 males) 777 Decennial Population Growth 40.33% Literacy Rate 81.9%

Geology

The Union Territory of Chandigarh is located in the foothills of the Shivalik hill ranges in the north, which form a part of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. It is occupied by Kandi (Bhabhar) in the north east and Sirowal (Tarai) and alluvial plains in the remaining part. The subsurface formation comprises of beds of boulders, pebbles, gravel, sand, silt, clays and some kankar. The area is drained by two seasonal rivulets viz. Sukhna Choe in the east and Patiala-Ki-Rao Choe in the west. The central part forms a surface water divide and has two minor streams. The stream passing through the central part is called N-Choe and the other is Choe Nala which initiates at Sector 29.

 

Open Hand

Open hand in Chandigarh, India is one of the most significant monuments of the city. The credit for laying down its plan goes to Le Corbusier. It is located in sector 1 in the Capitol Complex. Chandigarh open hand monument has been designed in the form of a giant hand made from metal sheets that rotates like a weathercock, indicating the direction of wind. This giant hand is 14 metres high and weighs around 50 tonnes. The significance of open hand is that it conveys the social message of peace and unity that is "open to give & open to receive." Open hand is the city's official emblem

 

 

Chandigarh Fact

City Name	Chandigarh
State	Chandigarh
District	Chandigarh
District Headquarters	Chandigarh
Tehsil/Taluk	Chandigarh
Ward	26
Lat Long	30.733408, 76.779799
Area	114 km2 (44 sq mi)
Population as per 2011	10,54,686
Official Languages	Hindi, English
Airport	Chandigarh Airport
Railway Station	Chandigarh (CDG), Chandigarh Railway Station
Tourist Attractions	Leisure valley, Rock garden, Sukhna lake, Open hand monument, Capitol complex.
Nearby Tourist Attractions	Kasauli, Chail, Solan, Shimla.
Sex Ratio	818/1000
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
STD Code	0172
Transport	Airways, Roadways, Railways, Car, Local Transport.
Vehicle registration	CH-01 to CH-04
Food and Cuisine	Makki di Roti, Sarson ka Saag, Dal Makhni, Kadhi, Punjabi Chhole, Palak Paneer, Stuffed Vegetable Punjabi Parantha, Baingan da Bhurtha, Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken, Bhuna Ghosht, Kebab, Amritsari Fish, Tandoori Fish, Fish Tikka, Chicken Biriyani, Lamb Biriyani, Keema Naans, Reshmi Tikka, Malai Tikka, and Pork Pickle, Punjabi Lachha Paratha, Chicken Tikkas, Amritsari Fish, prepared Tandoors, Naan, Tandoori Roti, Kulcha, Lachha Paratha, Phulka or Chapatti, Aloo Paratha, Mooli Paratha, Poori, and Bhatoora, Milk and Milk Products - Curd, Buttermilk, and Lassi etc
Religion	Sikhs, Hindus, Christians and Muslims
Festival	Baisakhi Festival, Lohri, Holla Mohalla, Gurpurab, Bhaiya Dooj (Tikka), Teeyan, The Festival of Gardens, The Mango Festival, The Chrysanthemums Show, Teej Festival, April Fool's Day, The Chandigarh Carnival, The Plaza Carnival, Karwa Chauth, Dusshera, Diwali, Raksha Bandhan etc.
Monuments	Open Hand Monument, Capitol Complex, Martyr's Memorial, Tower of Shadows, Geometric Hill, Martyr's Memorial.
Places of interest	Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, The Government Museum and Art Gallery, Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, ChattBir Zoo, Shankar's International Dolls Museum, Open Hand Monument, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Chandigarh Golf Club, Shanti Kunj etc.
Markets	Sector 17 Market, Sector 22-D Market, Sector 15, Sector 14, 17, 19 and 22: Book stores, Sector 7 and 34: Furniture shops, Sector 17, 22 and 9: Garment stores, shoes shops and Electronic goods shops, Sector 28 and 21: Automobile center, Sector 7, 18 and 22: Hardware shops and Malls- Elante Mall, City Emporium Mall, DLF City Centre etc.
Hotels	Hotel Rajshree, Amara Hotel, The Toy, KC Hotel & Spa, Lemon Tree Hotel, Hotel Solitaire, The Lalit, Hometel Chandigarh, The First Hotel, Hotel Monarch, The Gaur, Hotel Abs - 17, Hotel Cama, JW Marriott Hotel, Pallavi West, Park Plaza Chandigarh, Regenta Central - Ashok, Welcom Hotel Bella Vista etc.
Industries	Paper Manufacturing, Basic Metals and Alloys and Machinery, Food Products, Sanitary Ware, Auto Parts, Machine Tools, Pharmaceuticals and Electrical Appliances, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, (FICCI) the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),The Chandigarh Administration is focusing on Promotion of Information Technology (IT) Industry, Major Indian firms and Multinational Corporations like Quark, Infosys, Dell, IBM, TechMahindra etc.
University/College	Panjab University, Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET), Punjab Engineering College, DAV College, University Business School Panjab University, G.G.D.S.D. College, Chandigarh College of Architecture, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Department of Laws Panjab University, Chitkara Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Aryans Group of Colleges (AGC) etc.
Notable people	Kirron Kher-Indian actress and theatre artist, Yuvraj Singh-Indian International Cricketer, Jeev Milkha Singh-Professional Golfer, Kulraj Randhawa-Punjabi Film Actress, Ayushman Khurrana- Indian Film actor, Yami Gautam, Indian film actress, Surveen Chawla, Punjabi Film Actress, Gul Panag-Indian film actress and Social Activist, Kapil Dev-former Indian International cricketer, Abhinav Bindra-Olympic Gold Medalist, Ramesh Kumar Nibhoria-Winner of Ashden Awards-UK, Neerja Bhanot-Flight Attendant and Model.

                 City Beautiful Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a city and a union territory in the northern part of India that serves as the capital of the states of Haryana and Punjab.Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post-independence in 1947 and was known internationally for its architecture and urban design.Most of the government buildings and housing in the city, however, is designed by the Chandigarh Capital Project Team headed by Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry.Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Sivalik range of the Himalayas in northwest India.It covers an area of approximately 44.5 sq mi or 114 km². and shares its borders with the states of Haryana and Punjab.

Average temperature-

1-Winter: Winters (November-end to February-end) are mild but it can sometimes get quite chilly in Chandigarh. Average temperatures in the winter remain at (max) 5 °C to 14 °C and (min) -1 °C to 5 °C. Rain usually comes from the west during winters and it is usually a persistent rain for 2–3 days with sometimes hail-storms.The city witnessed bone-numbing chill as the maximum temperature on Monday, 7 January 2013 plunged to a 30-year low to settle at 6.1 degrees Celsius.

2-Monsoon: During monsoon (from early-July to mid-September), Chandigarh receives moderate to heavy rainfall and sometimes heavy to very heavy rainfall (generally during the month of August or September). Usually, the rain bearing monsoon winds blow from south-west/south-east. Mostly, the city receives heavy rain from south (which is mainly a persistent rain) but it generally receives most of its rain during monsoon either from North-west or North-east. Maximum amount of rain received by the city of Chandigrah during monsoon season is 195.5 mm in a single day.

3-Summer: The temperature in summer (from Mid-April to June-end) may rise to 44nbsp;C .The temperatures might sometime rise to 44 degree Celsius in mid june . Temperatures generally vary between 40 to 42 degree Celsius .

4-Autumn: In autumn (from September-end to mid November.), the temperature may rise to a maximum of 30 °C. Temperatures usually remain between 10° to 22° in autumn. The minimum temperature is around 6 °C.

5-Spring: The climate remains the most enjoyable part of the year during the spring season (from February-end to early-April). Temperatures vary between (max) 13 °C to 20 °C and (min) 5 °C to 12 °C.

Education -

There are numerous education institutions in Chandigarh. These range from privately and publicly operated schools to colleges and the Panjab University.Govt Medical college & Hospital, Punjab Engineering College Deemed University, Govt College for Men, Govt College for Women, DAV College, MCM DAV College for Women, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College-26, Govt Homeopathic College, Ayurvedic College, Govt Polytechnical College, Govt Home Science College, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Hotel management etc. These institutions are a large draw for students from around the world.

 Places to Visit-

1-Sukhna Lake 

2- New Lake, Sector-42

3- Rock garden, built by Nek Chand Saini

4-Leisure valley, Sector-10

5-Rose Garden, Sector-16

6-Capitol Complex

7-Open hand monument

8-Garden of Silence

9- Cactus Garden

10- National Gallery of Portraits

11- Garden of Fragrance

12- Le Corbusier Centre, Sector-19

13- Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector-10

14 -International Doll Museum

15- Butterfly Park

16 Valley of Animals, Sector-49.