Chandigarh Travel Guide
Chandigarh is one of the most significant urban planning experiments
of the 20th century. It is the only one of the numerous urban planning
schemes of Le Corbusier, the famous French architect-planner, to have
actually been executed.
It is also the site of some of his greatest architectural creations.
The city has had far-reaching impact, ushering in a modern idiom of architecture
and city planning all over India and has become a symbol of planned urbanism.
It is as famous for its landscaping as for its architectural ambience.
Most of the buildings are in pure, cubical form, geometrically subdivided
with emphasis on proportion, scale and detail.
In March, 1948, the Government of Punjab in consultation with the Government
of India, approved a 114.59 sq. km tract of land at the foot of the Shivalik
Hills in Ropar district as the site of the new capital. An existing village
gave its name (Chandi - Goddess of Power + garh - fortress) to the new
city.
Destinations
Chandigarh offers a rich fare of places of tourist interest within short
intra-city distances, amidst a clean environment.
Chandigarh is famous for its unique architecture. Another lesser known
aspect of Chandigarh is that besides, architecture and other urban components,
it is one of the few cities of the world with well planned landscaping.
The city boasts of Leisure Valley and large number of beautifully maintained
gardens.
Chandigarh has the distinction of having world acclaimed Rock Garden.
It consists of art objects made from industrial and urban waste. Sukhna
Lake is another important place of tourists attraction. This man-made
Lake is situated in the foothills of Shivalik Range and offers an ideal
place for quiet communion with nature. It also offers boating and other
water sports facilities.
The city has also a Museum Complex. The Government Museum and Art Gallery
has the largest collection of the world famous Gandhara (Buddhist) Sculpture
after Lahore. It has also large number of articles of miniature indian
paintings. The City Museum displays the planning and development of the
City from the drawing board state to its completion. The Museum of Evolution
of Life shows evolution from unicellular organism to its present state
of biological diversity.
The City has one of the best facilities for organizing culture and theatre
shows. It has large number of auditoriums, some of them air-conditioned.
The City boasts of six art galleries.
Chandigarh has two forest areas beyond Lake Sukhna where one can find
excellent trekking routes in the lower hills of Shivalik Range.
In recent years, Chandigarh has also become an attractive place for film
shootings. The city is newly developed and some of its tourists spots
like Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Panjab University and City Centre are popular
places for shooting. The nearby villages of Chandigarh which have not
changed much and even today the pre-partition atmosphere can be seen,
are another attraction for the film producers.
In the pre-historic period, Chandigarh was home to the Harappans. After
independence, two prehistoric sites situated near Chandigarh have been
excavated. Ropar about 40 kms from Chandigarh is one of the important
Harappan sites. Sanghol about 40 kms from Chandigarh in Fatehgarh Sahib
district of Punjab is an important Buddhist site.
There are large number of important places of tourist interest beyond
Chandigarh. Chhatbir Zoo, Bhakra Nangal Dam, Patiala, Anandpur Sahib and
Fatehgarh Sahib are important tourist attraction sites and are situated
within 60-70 kms from Chandigarh. Yadvindra garden Pinjore and Mansa Devi
both in Haryana are situated within 15 kms from Chandigarh. The hill stations
of Kasauli, Chail and Shimla are also close-bye.
Architecture
- Capitol Complex
- Secretariat
- Legislative Assembly
- High Court
- Governor's Palace
- Tower of Shadows
- Open hand Punjab University
- Other Buildings
The architectural style of the city, which has rightly come to be called
the ‘Chandigarh architecture’, is represented by the unfinished
concrete for the buildings in the Capitol Complex and other major buildings,
exposed brickwork and use of brise-soleil ( a louvered screen) that replaces
conventional verandah to keep sunlight from walls and windows. Another
characteristic is neatly finished during construction.There are no narrow
streets in Chandigarh. It has wide roads to accommodate the modern means
of transport. Most of the buildings are closely spaced, number of houses
having been constructed in a single continuous row. This is called 'terrace
housing'. Large number of houses in Chandigarh have been constructed in
this mode.
For visitors, some buildings are on the "must-see" list. We
will walk you through some of the most significant among these :
Capitol Complex
The Capitol Complex located in Sector 1 is the raison-d' etre for this
city, the seat of the Government. Originally, it housed only the Government
of Punjab but now it is the joint headquarters of Punjab and Haryana.
The offices of the Union Territory of Chandigarh are located in Sector
9.
This sector, set against the backdrop of Shivalikhills, was entirely
developed by Le Corbusier. The complex consists of the Secretariat, the
Legislative Assembly and the High Court. There was to have been a fourth
building in the form of A Raj Bhawan (Governor's Palace) or a Museum of
Knowledge but this is yet to be realised.
The three edifices of the Capitol Complex stand in their majesty as monuments.
They were conceived as temples of democracy of free India. Their bold
sculptural forms epitomize the plasticity of Le Corbusier's architecture
which consider concrete as "molten rock".
Secretariat
The Secretariat is the largest of these edifices in the Capitol Complex.
It is the headquarter of both Punjab and Haryana governments. It is a
huge multi-storeyed linear slab-like structure, intended as a work place
for 4000 people. The building is 254 meters long and 42 meters high. It
is composed of 8 storeys.The long line of rhythmic sun breakers is relieved
by introducing varied heights and projections, together with a roof containing
towers, funnels, pavilions and a cafeteria jutting out like an art object
placed on a pedestal. In the hands of Corbusier, this basically repetitive
framework has been shaped into a work of art. Built during 1953-59, it
is shaped like an eight -storey concrete slab, with its distinctive brise-soleil
( louvered screen ) of deeply sculptured two-storey porticos in the centre,
housing the offices of ministers. The cafeteria rests atop the terrace
like an art object, giving a spectacular view of the city.
Rock Garden
Chandigarh has the distinction of having a unique world-acclaimed Rock
Garden. It consists of art objects, fashioned from industrial and urban
waste. It is situated between the Capitol Complex and Sukhna Lake in Sector
1. It nestles amidst 20 acres of woods in the form of an open air exhibition
hall, theatre trove and a miniature maze all rolled into one vast fantasy
land of art and landscape. It is without doubt, a tourist spot that is
a must on the itinerary of every visitor to Chandigarh.
An unpretentious entrance leads to a magnificent, almost surrealist arrangement
of rocks, boulders, broken chinaware, discarded fluorescent tubes, broken
and cast away glass bangles, building waste, coal and clay-all juxtaposed
to create a dream folk world of palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life,
women and temples. The open air sculptures and concealed gateways separating
them are at places enhanced by a waterfall, pools and an open air theatre
with proper stage setting. Several prestigious performances have been
staged in this small but very artistic and naturalistic open air theatre.
The Creator
The Rock Garden has become almost a heritage site. Artists and connoisseurs
from all over the world flock to see this unique and amazing creation.
The concept is daring, the appeal perennial. Visitors leave in admiration,
only to return again. The creator of the Rock Garden, Nek Chand, was a
Road Inspector in the Engineering Department of Chandigarh Capital Project.
He roamed the Shivalik Foothills and picked up stones resembling bird,
animal, human and abstract forms. He brought them on his bicycle. The
first seven years (1958-65) were spent collecting natural material, urban
and industrial waste. Gradually his collection mounted to a staggering
twenty thousand rock forms of amazing beauty. These were deposited around
a hut which he had built for his work and contemplation. He built the
Rock Garden from this improvised hut which was located by the side of
a stream.
On February 24, 1973, the Rock Garden was accidentally discovered by
Dr. S K Sharma who headed an Anti-Malaria party during a vector reconnaissance
duty in the forest in which the garden is located. Soon thereafter the
late Dr. M S Randhawa ( a former Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh ) visited
the place and placed the matter before the Chandigarh Landscape Advisory
Committee, as its Chairman, at a meeting held on June 23, 1973, suggesting
that this garden of rocks, stones and scrap was the most unusual and it
should be preserved in its present form, free from the interference of
architects and town planners. The Rock Garden was thus inaugurated in
1976.
Collection
Since the site where Rock Garden stands today was also used as a dumping
ground for urban and industrial waste, Nek Chand picked up pieces of foundry
lime-kiln and metal workshop wastes and also shaped them with his creative
genius, resembling human, animal or abstract forms. These pieces have
been innovatively displayed as sculptures in the garden.
Also, on display are shapes sculptured by using a variety of discarded
materials such as frames, mudguards, forks, handle bars, metal wires,
play marbles, crowns of soft drink bottles, porcelain, auto parts, broken
bangles, pieces of slate, burnt bricks and even human hair recovered from
barbers' shop.
Nek Chand salvaged a variety of debris from demolished structures, waste
from lime kilns, discarded street lights, electrical fittings, broken
sanitary ware, crockery etc. thus demonstrating how urban and industrial
waste can be fruitfully recycled and used in creative pursuit.
Kingdom
The layout of the Garden is based on the fantasy of a lost kingdom. The
moment one enters the garden, the small entrance doors make the head bow,
not only create an ambience of royal grandeur but also impart humbleness.
One has to pass through a variety of doorways, archways, vestibules, streets
and lanes of different scales and dimensions, each one opening into a
new array of displays or courtyards and chambers lending an air of suspense
and curiosity at every corner, at every turn !
In the true spirit of a make-believe `kingdom’ the Rock Garden
has fourteen different chambers, like the forecourt : housing natural
rock-forms, a royal poet’s and a musician’s chamber complete
with a pond and a hut; the main court (Durbar) where the king’s
throne adorns the place with natural stone forms depicting gods and goddesses
lining the place; a swimming pool for the queen, etc. Another phase of
the garden comprises the grand palace complex, minars, water falls, an
open air theatre, a village, mountains, overbridges, pavilions and areas
for royal pleasures. The tree and root sculpture offers a powerful counterpoint
to the existing vegetation.
An open air theatre and a vast pavilion with a centre stage are the other
highlights of the Rock Garden where art and culture blend amidst the rustic
and exotic environs of the garden.
The Teej Festival, when the Rock Garden assumes a festive look, holds
a special attraction for tourists …. Young damsels partake in the
fun and frolic by swaying on the giant swings, while others adorn their
hands with traditional Mehandi (henna), amidst joyful songs and dances.
As you stroll through the Rock Garden, enjoying the awe inspiring creation,
you may find yourself face to face with the unassuming, down to earth
artist Nek Chand himself, in flesh and blood, working at or supervising
his 'kingdom'.
Leisure Valley and Gardens
Leisure Valley
A continuum of various theme gardens to take "Care of the Body and
Spirit" of the city.
Le Corbusier retained the eroded valley of a seasonal rivulet ('City
Map' ) on the original site of the city and sculpted it into a linear
park, now over 8 kilometers long, running through the whole of Chandigarh.
It traverses the heart of the city and has been developed into a series
of special "theme gardens" weaving a garland of gardens for
the city : of varied hues, textures and colours. Enter this Leisure Valley,
and the proximity of the city becomes a blur. Let us walk you through
this meandering parkland.
The Leisure Valley starts from the foothills in Sector 1 in Rajendra
Park, commonly used for long walks, outdoor yoga, learning to drive, and
horse riding. It stretches to the 20 acre Garden of Bougainvilleas in
Sector 3, known for its brilliant colours, and crosses over to Sector
10. You see a Flower Garden, a Fitness Trail, a jogging track and a tennis
stadium. Follow the exercise instruction posted along the Fitness Trail,
and you will get an excellent workout by the time you complete the circuit.
You come across the sculpture park and open air theatre, adjoining the
Cultural Complex in Sector 10. This provides an attractive setting for
large sculptures besides, it is a popular venue for exhibitions and fairs.
The Leisure Valley now enters Phase two of Chandigarh in Sector 36,
and we see a Hibiscus garden, with scores of varieties of hibiscus followed
by a Garden of Fragrance. This is the most recent addition to the city's
theme gardens. Flowering plants like raat ki rani, motia, varieties of
jasmine, damask rose, mehndi, champa, har-shingar and many others cast
a pervading aroma in this part of the Leisure Valley. As we near the periphery
of the UT of Chandigarh, and along the route of the Leisure Valley one
can see the Beant Singh Memorial Complex coming up ( in memory of the
former Chief Minister of Punjab who was assassinated by the militants
in 1995 ). Designed by renowned architects M/s Stein, this garden-cum
cultural complex is envisaged as a grand centre for the performing and
visual arts. The Leisure Valley leaves Chandigarh at its southern most
edge in Sector 53.
There is even more fascinating landscaping outside the Leisure Valley.
Rajendra Park
Sector 1
It is a vast stretch of land of about 400 acres, abutting the Secretariat
building on its eastern side. On the southern side of the park are the
residences of Chief Ministers and Ministers. Le Corbusier himself designed
the landscape scheme of this park. Trees with round canopies and of ever
green foliage have been planted here, punctuated by a few groups of flowering
species. It was started in 1954.
Bougainvillea Park
Sector 3
It is situated in Sector 3 in an area of about 20 acres. The natural
Choe running through the valley starts from here. The garden is devoted
to hundreds of bougainvillea varieties. The creepers cover a wide assortment
of arches, bowers, pavilions and arcades. About 65 different varieties
of bougainvillea shrubs are planted in this garden. A few flowering trees
have also been panted to give a colourful effect during the gap of bougainvillea
flowering time. It was started in 1976.
Fitness Trails and the Flower Garden
Sector 10
The Flower Garden is located in the Sector 10 stretch of the Leisure
Valley . The total area of this garden is 94 acres out of which 52 acres
are under seasonal flowers and the rest of the area is punctuated with
sculptures by renowned artists. A limited area has been left for organising
different cultural activities etc.
A Physical Fitness Trail Park has also been developed here with a view
to combining physical exercises with the beauty of nature. On the north
east end of this garden is Bougainvillea Garden and its south west side
touches the Rose Garden. It was started in 1965 and then redeveloped in
1985.
Zakir Rose Garden
Sector 16
Named after India's former President, Zakir Hussain, the garden was established
in 1967 under the guidance of Chandigarh's first Chief Commissioner late
Dr M S Randhawa. The largest Rose Garden in Asia, it is spread over an
area of 27 acres and has more than 17,000 plants representing some 1,600
varieties of roses as well as several fountains. Alongwith the roses emphasis
was also given on the trees of medicinal value and some unique specimen
trees to enhance the beauty of the garden. The medicinal trees planted
here are bel, bahera, harar, camphor and yellow gulmohar. This garden
is the venue of the annual Festival of Gardens, an event listed on the
national calendar of fairs and festivals. This is one of the main cultural
events of the city and draws thousands of visitors. It was started in
1966.
Shanti Kunj
Sector 16
The Shanti Kunj is situated between the Rose Garden and the Cricket Stadium
in Sector 16 a stretch of the Leisure Valley..This is completely a noise
free area with natural undulations and therefore aptly named Shanti Kunj.
The natural stream running through this garden divides the park into 5
areas. The 5 parts of the garden depict different kinds of trees such
as medicinal plants, vertical shaped trees, flowering trees, trees for
shade and environmentally suitable trees.
Children's Traffic Park
Sector 23
Concrete paths wander over the gently rolling slopes of this park; they
are laid out to form "roads and intersections" and furnished
with all sorts of road signs. This place, safe from heavy speeding vehicles
is useful for children who are learning to cycle, and designed to teach
them the rules of road safety.
This area of the Leisure Valley in Sector 23 is famous for Amla trees.
This garden was once planted with different varieties of cannas which
could not be maintained because of the shortage of water. It is also known
as the Canna Garden.
Hibiscus Garden
Sector 36
It covers an area of 8 acres and adjoins the Dakshin Marg . About 40
different varieties of Hibiscus shrubs are planted in the garden that
provide colour through out the year. The choe banks are however also planted
with bottle brush and bamboo groves as in other parts of the Leisure Valley.
It was opened in 1974.
Garden of Fragrance
Sector 36
Situated of south of the Hibiscus Garden is very popular for different
varieties of aromatic and fragrant plants.
Gardens
Botanical Garden
Panjab University
Botanical Garden of the Panjab University deserves a special mention.
One corner of this garden devoted to cacti and succulent plants. In another
corner of the garden are grown ever green and exotic plants. There is
also a lotus corner in the garden. This is the only place in Chandigarh
where one can find beautiful lotus flowers.
Smriti Upavan
Sector 1
This space has been set aside to allow the people to plant trees in memory
of the deceased. The resultant forest is intended to be a place of silence
and remembrance. Smriti means "remembrance" and Upavan means
"forest". This is a forest where every tree commemorates someone
who is no more. It was formally inaugurated on 14/11/1988 when the then
Adviser Sh. Ashok Pradhan planted a banyan tree in the memory of the first
Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.
Topiary Park
Sector 35
Many animal shapes created out of creepers and bushes attract children
to the Topiary Park. A large variety of ornamental plants add to the park’s
charm. It was started in 1987.
Terraced Garden
Sector 33
A small valley running the length of the Sector has been developed into
a Terraced Flower Garden. Its main attraction is an illuminated musical
fountain. The garden is the venue for the annual Chrysanthemum Show. It
is spread over 10 acres. It was started in 1979.
Roundabouts
The city has large number of roundabouts. Originally there were no traffic
lights on the road crossings and the movement of the traffic was regulated
by the roundabouts. In recent years a few roundabouts have been removed
and replaced with traffic lights. Even then the city has many roundabouts
left. They are being maintained by the private agencies who also use them
for advertisements. They are very well developed and are a source of attraction
to the residents of nearby sectors.
Sector Greens
Within the various sectors of Chandigarh, small parks have been located
between clusters of houses to be used by the residents for social and
recreational purposes. The children of the area also play in these parks.
Atleast one or two parks in each sub sector have been specially provided
with children's play equipment.
The Sector Green is an open space that runs from north east to south
west end throughout the entire length of each sector. In some of the sectors
these greens have been developed into theme gardens such as the Bulbous
Garden in Sector 9, Terrace Garden in Sector 33 and the Topiary Park in
Sector 35.
The Mango Belt
The Mango Belt is located along the Purv Marg of the city, separating
the Industrial Area from the residential areas. It runs north east to
south west, starting from the Transport Area roundabout to Sector 47,
covering about 4 Kms. On both sides of the road 12 rows of mango of different
varieties of dusheri, langra and chausa have been planted. This belt constitutes
a complete tree buffer to protect the residential areas from the pollutants
emanating from the factories and also from the heavy traffic moving along
the Purv Marg. About 5000 mango trees are planted here.
Trees of Chandigarh
Nature has endowed Chandigarh with beautiful surroundings : Shivalik
Hills as backdrop, seasonal rivulets of Sukhna Choe and Patiala ki Rao
on the sides and a fertile soil. The city planners from the very beginning
were conscious of the fact that the City needed to be provided with a
green cover on its periphery. It was considered essential to sterlise
a 16 km belt around the boundaries of the city under the Punjab New Capital
(Periphery) Control Act 1952.
A Landscape Advisory Committee was constituted in 1953 under the chairmanship
of Dr. M S Randhawa, then Development Commissioner Punjab for guiding
tree plantation in Chandigarh. Le Corbusier was a member of this Committee.
A huge nursery was established in Sector 23 in an area of 25 acres. Various
species of trees, their shapes and foliage, and the colour of flowers
were studied in detail. Trees were planted in single, double and multiple
rows - symmetrical and asymmetrical- depending on the location, type and
orientation of the road in relation to the sun. An effort was made to
retain old indigenous trees and weave them into the newly created parks.
A large number of exotic plants from foreign countries were also planted
in Chandigarh.
From the very beginning every attempts was made to retain the existing
trees on the site intact. The mango grove near the High Court, the peepul
tree on the lake promenade, the line of trees now seen in sector 22 on
the old Ropar road are some instances of this heritage. In course of time,
planned landscaping took over and with what effect!
There is green foliage all around Chandigarh, offset by a dash of amaltas
and gulmohar. A pattern becomes evident to the more discerning. All roads
running north-south are planted with canopy - forming trees, possibly
to minimise the low rays of the sun. Walking and driving on the avenues
has become much easier therefore. Roads running east-west have these 'vista'
forming trees like the Kachnar and the Kusum. The road dividers have flowering
bougainvillea, while the roundabouts are beautifully landscaped with evergreen
shrubs and sculptures. The silver oaks on the road leading to the cultural
complex, and the eucalyptus clusters in front of Tagore Theatre are distinctive.
Within the Sectors, the shopping streets (V4s) have flowering trees of
the same species.
Some of the important native trees retained are - Peepul, Mango, Kadamba,
Champaka, Parijata, Vakula, Jamun, Kikkar and Neem. The prominent flowering
trees are - Amaltas, Semul, Kachnar, Gulmohar, Pink Cassias and Laegstromia
and Teckoma agentia.
Chandigarh is the only city in India where there are two legislations
for the protection and preservation of trees. The Tree Preservation Order
was issued in 1952 under which no tree can be felled without the permission
of the Finance Secretary. Indian Forest Act 1989 protects the reserved
forests. During the initial years there was emphasis on planting ornamental
trees but later more and more native trees were also planted. At present
the ratio between the ornamental and native trees is 60:40.
City Centre
The City Centre or Sector 17, as it is popularly called, is a juxtaposition
of cuboid building blocks and open spaces. The piazzas liven up in the
afternoon with the office crowds out to recharge themselves. In the evenings
shoppers and tourists, enjoying icecreams or popcorns, sit on the steps
of the "dove of peace" spout, where water cascades down from
one level to another in geometrically shaped tanks, amidst delightful
play of colourful lights. All the buildings in City Centre are four storeyed.
Originally, Le-Corbusier wanted to raise some high rise buildings but
influenced by the limitations of building materials and methods , a uniform
four storey height was adopted for all the buildings. He, however, designed
an eleven storey structure but it is yet to be built.
Sector 17 is the hub of the town where important offices of Punjab, Haryana
and UT such as Estate Office Chandigarh, Udyog Bhawan Punjab, Central
Income Tax building, Accountant General Punjab building and Haryana Mini
Secretariat apart from Chandigarh District Courts are located. Sector
17 is the biggest Shopping Centre of the city. One can find well stocked
shops and variety of goods here. Most of the shops are air conditioned
and shopping is a pleasure.
Museums
Government Museum and Art Gallery
Sector 10
The Government Museum & Art Gallery was designed as a building for
the Museum by Le Corbusier. It came into being on the 6th of May, 1968
with untiring efforts of Late M.S. Randhawa, the then Chief Commissioner.
Like the City of Chandigarh, the Museum owes its existence to the partition
of the country. The collection of arts objects, paintings, sculpture and
decorative arts was housed in Lahore, the then Capital of Punjab. On 20th
April 1948 the division of the collection took place by which 60% of the
objects were retained as were the objects already re-produced in books
and excavated from the sites falling in erstwhile Punjab. The remaining
40% collection consisting mainly of Gandhara Sculpture and miniature paintings
fell in the East Punjab’s share. Received in 1949, the collection
was first installed in Amritsar and then shifted to Shimla. In 1954, the
exhibits were shifted to Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala. It was decided in
1960 that the Museum should have a building of its own in Chandigarh.
The plan was approved in 1962 and the work remained suspended for sometime
and finaly, the Museum was constructed and opened to public in May, 1968.
The Museum possesses the largest collection of the world famous Gandhara
Sculptures after Lahore. There is also a well appointed library in the
Museum, which meets the needs of the scholars and students through its
stock of 4600 books and refrences of arts and allied subjects.
The Art Galleries are classified as follows:-
- Gandhara and Hindu Sculptures
- Miniature Paintings
- Contemporary Art Gallery
- Decorative Arts and Coins
Gandhara and Hindu Sculptures
When Alexander of Macesdonia came to India in 326 B.C., it consisted
of 122 different nations. After his death in 323 B.C. his Generals added
to the number by setting up additional independent kingdoms. The whole
of Western Asia (from the present day Syria right upto Western Punjab
in Pakistan) came under Graeco-Roman influence affecting art, customs,
fashions, coins and language of the region. The local public intermarried
with Romans and Greeks and adopted mixed religions and customs.
By the Ist century B.C., a large number of these foreigners settled in
the Buddhist border kingdom of Gandhara (the name derived from "Gandhari",
the local tribe settled in the extreme NWFP region). The Gandhara region
includes two royal cities Taxila & Pushkalavati near Peshawar. These
early settlers converted to Buddhism, built monasteries, temple, stupas
and created a vigorous art movement, ‘The Graeco-Buddhist art of
Gandhara’. Though superficially there were Graeco Roman elements
in this art, it was essentially an Indian art. This art flourished under
the various rulers right upto 500 A.D., the famous out of the them being
the Kushan King-Kanishka(2nd century A.D.). He conquered Mathura and the
movement spread to that area also. It is believed that the art activity
declined in Gandhara in 700 A.D and the artisans flocked to Kashmir via
Baramula through the Pir Panjal range. There are two major archaeological
sites in Kashmir- a large monastery in ruins at Ushkar near Baramula and
a similar monastery in the neighbourhood of Akhnur, in Jammu. These sites
are popularly called Kashmir Terracottas.
Four distinct periods of this art are the Primitive style (1st centurey
B.C.-250 A.D.), the Classical style (300 A.D. to 500 A.D.), the Mannerist
style (500 – 650 A.D.), the Baroque style(650-800 A.D.). The Museum
has an excellent collection of Buddhist, Brahminical , Jain sculptures.
A part of collection came from Lahore. Some were received from Central
National Museum and a few others were exchanged from other museums.
Miniature Paintings
Indian paintings with the possible but important exception of early Indian
frescoes is for the individual, to be enjoyed one or two at a time. Religionwise,
the paintings may be divided into 3 categories - Buddhist, Hindu &
Mohammedan.
The Hindu paintings has come to be referred as Rajput on account of its
association with Rajputana and hill Rajputs of Punjab. The Rajas in Rajasthan
employed artists who left the court of Delhi and apart from this, there
was also a spiritual revival in Hinduism. The worship of Krishna spread
all over India and it inspired the mystical literature and paintings in
Rajasthan and Punjab hills in 12th-16th centuries.
The paintings reflect the belief, customs and traditions of the common
people. The main aim was to popularise religion and make it available
in every household. Chittor and Udaipur were the main cultural centres.
The other centres were Bundi, Marwar & Bikaner, all now situated in
Rajasthan
The Mohammmedan art is called Mughal as the art owed its existence to
the encouragement it received from the Mughal empire. The paintings exhibit
customs and traditions of the common people in a completely different
style. The intent is to the state a fact without any spiritual overtones.
The Mughal school of painting started with the Akbar and it attained its
peak under the imperial dilettante Jehangir.
Buddhist and Rajput art were symbolic, signifying the spiritual life,
with mysticism and the religion chief and dominant features while Mughal
painting was frankly secular, and in character, realistic and eclectic.
The offshoot of the Rajput school manifested itself in the Punjab Himalayas
developing small but highly significant individual role. Often called
‘Kangra Kalam’ after the leading state of the region, the
‘Pahari School’ includes mountainous states of Nurpur, Basohli,
Guler, Chamba, Kutler, Mankot, Jammu. The ruler of the states patronised
the artists and produced considerable amount of work for local demand
including portraits of rulers and chieftains, hunting and domestic scenes
and illustration of mythological and religious writings.
By the 19th century, the Pahari artists enlarged their sphere of activities.
The Sikh court of Lahore ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh from 1803 to 1839
accorded encouragement to the artists resulting in numerous paintings
of Sikh nobility executed in ‘Kangra Kalam’ to start with
later evolving a distinctive style. Its themes are 10 Sikh Gurus, the
stories of the Janam Sakhi, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Rani Jindon, his sons,
courtiers and generals. Apart from Lahore and Amritsar, which were the
main centres of Sikh paintings, the others were Una, Anandpur, Kapurthala
and Patiala. The famous painters of Sikh paintings are Sobha Singh, Thakur
Singh, Kirpal Singh and Jaswant Singh.
Contemporary Art Gallery
Starting with the works of Bengal School revivalists artists like Rabindra
Nath Tagore and Abhnindra Nath Tagore, the richness of collection is also
reflected in the folkloric works of Jamini Roy and the serene paintings
of Nicholas Roerick. Whether it is Amrita Sher Gill’s pictorial
interpretation of the lift of the poor Indians, Hussains preference of
lavish Indian Palette, human element reflected in the abstract works of
Dhanraj Bhagat, the popular works of famous artists like Sobha Singh and
Thakur Singh or the expressive works of Satish Gujral, the modernity of
Indian art in all its aspects is quite different from that of the west.
It is the emphasis on the humanistic element that gives the Modern Indian
painting a distinct individual character.
Decorative Arts and Coins
Coins are important source of history and al commentary upon economic,
social and political movement. The galleries displays some important coins
to acquaint the public with its history. Also on display are some of the
important specimens of decorative arts.
Other Sections
There is a Pottery section which reveals clearly the complete character
of country’s past personality.
Also, on display are some specimens of textiles in the form of Puradahs
and Chamba rumals highlighting the trends in Indian embroidery and painting.
There are two temporary exhibition halls which can be hired for display
purposes. There is also a Child Art Gallery in the Museum block. It is
exclusively meant for children. There is a 180 seat air -conditioned auditorium
for screening of educational films, holding of special slide lectures,
seminars and conferences etc.
City Museum
Sector 10
The city Museum was opened in December, 1997. The creation of the City
Museum Chandigarh was one of the several activities pursued by the UT
Administration during the 50th Anniversary of India’s independence.
The objective was to document and display the planning and architectural
development that went into this unique urban experiment and to bring out
the distinctive and significant aspects of its lay-out and design. It
houses original sketches, photographs, plans, models and documents reflecting
the evolution of the City from the drawing board state to its realization.
The austere building was designed by Architect, S.D. Sharma, an associate
of Le Corbusier. He was also the consultant for the City Museum project.
Till now called the "Pavilion of Temporary Exhibitions", it
has now been suitably modified to serve the present purpose. The City
Museum consists of three floors.
The displays kept in the basement tell the story of partition of the
country and the necessity to build new Capital city of Chandigarh. The
story of selection of the site and the accompanying controversies is also
told through rare documents; maps and drawings. Gradually the exhibits
through various panels focus on to the selection of first team of Architects
and planners i.e. the American team consisting primarily of Albert Mayer
and Mathew Nowicki. Evocative original sketches, studies and drawings
prepared by American team demonstrate the enormous amount of pioneering
work they did in evolving the first Master Plan. Of particular interest
is the broad similarities between the City’s first Master Plan prepared
by Albert Mayer and the final one as modified by Le Corbusier. The sketches
and documents which are on display in original highlight the hitherto,
lesser known great contribution made by the American team in the building
of Chandigarh.
On the Ground Floor is the display of the material pertaining to Le Corbusier’s
arrival on the scene and his work subsequent to the tragic death of Mathew
Nowicki and withdrawl of the American team from the contract for the project.
The sketches and drawings prepared by Corbusier personally as well as
by his team have been explained. The correspondence between Corbusier
and Nehru is also displayed. Various models, photographs give details
of the monumental buildings designed by Le Corbusier personally such as
: Capital Complex, Museum Complex and the College of Arts & Architecture.
Another lesser known aspect of Chandigarh’s planning is that besides,
architecture and other urban components, it is one of the few cities of
the world with planned landscaping. Various conceptual sketches made personally
by Corbusier for the development of Leisure Valley, the Sukhna Lake and
tree plantations along various roads, parks and civic areas are displayed.
The first floor of the City Museum houses the theme of "Chandigarh
today and tomorrow." This section broadly displays the City’s
growth after the first phase and departure of Corbusier and his foreign
team. The City’s evolution through its second phase and the beginning
of the third phase are highlighted. Also the commercial centres and major
public buildings built later are displayed.
Museum of Evolution of Life
Opened to public on 13th August, 1973, Museum of Evolution of Life invites
for a stimulating adventure in evolutionary studies. The evolution of
life from the unicellular organism to its present state of biological
diversity has been explained through exquisite paintings. The paintings
exhibit the origin of evolution of life, the variety and diversity of
plants and animals including different extinct races of man, their inter-relationship
in nature and the fundamentals of evolutionary proecess. The other main
galleries of the Museum includes Astronomy, Archaeology, Pre-historic
and Geology presented with scientific and technical display. A reference
library with fairly good number of books on evolution, paleontology, zoology,
botany, biology etc. has been provided in the museum to meet the scientific
needs of the scholars and students.
International Dolls Museum
Sector 23
The Museum was set up with the joint efforts of Chandigarh Administration
and Rotary Club of Chandigarh in 1985. The objective for setting the Dolls
Museum was to attract and provide amusement to children. Dolls are living
entities to children and hence an important means of communication. There
are about 250 dolls from countries like Netherland, Denmark, Germany,
Spain, Russia and Korea. There also one toy train on display in the Museum.
Paintings of important landmark of different countries have been added
to form a background alongwith more coloured blowups.
Art Galleries
Sector 10
Across the large expanse of paved space and not far from the
Museum was the art gallery, reffered to as the 'Pavilion of Temporary
Exhibition'. The buildings of both the museum and the art gallery were
realised after the death of Le Carbusier, but strictly according to his
designs. The Pavilion was intended as a facility for exhibitions of individual
artists. However, since this function was being more than adequately looked
after by the Art Gallery within the Government Museum, supplemented by
the Art Gallery in the college of Art, this building, became somewhat
neglected. Its design and location made it an obvious choice for the City
Museum.
There are four more Art Galleries in the city :
Department of Fine Art Gallery, Punjab University.
Art folio, Sector 9
Punjab Arts Council Gallery, Sector 16
Alliance Francais Gallery, Sector 36
National Gallery of Portraits
Sector 17
Portraits of Indian Freedom Fighters, rare documents of the voices of
leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru are Exhibited at preserved.
Libraries
Chandigarh has three reasonably popular public libraries.
Libraries |
Address |
Telephone |
| Central State Library |
Sector 17-C |
702565 |
| Lajpat Rai Bhawan |
Sector 15-B |
780611 |
| State Library |
Sector 34-A |
601131 |
|
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