Chandigarh City Guides

Chandigarh is the only city in India which is the capital of two Indian states, Haryana and Punjab. It is also a union territory and is counted amongst some of the finest examples of well planned cities with good quality modern architecture. Situated at the foothills of Shivaliks, the city derives its name from the famous Chandi mandir located in the nearby area chosen for developing the site for the city. ‘Chandi’ is the goddess of power and ‘garh’ is the fort of goddess Chandi.

The city is known for its picturesque location, beautiful surroundings and gardens. It is also referred to as ‘The City Beautiful’ due to the central grid of gardens. Chandigarh tourism offers some tourist interest places such as Sukhna Lake, International Doll Museum, Rock Garden, Sector 17 Plaza, Government Museum and Art gallery etc. It is the first planned city of India after independence and is known for its urban design and architecture. The history of the city of Chandigarh is quite interesting. The area on which the city is developed is supposed to have been the house of Harappans 8000 years ago. The sloping plain on which the city is located was a lake surrounded by marshy land.

During the medieval and modern era, this area was a part of Punjab province. This Punjab province was later divided into East and West Punjab during partition, which was later decided to serve as a capital of East Punjab and to house various refugees from the western Punjab. The foundation stone of the city of Chandigarh was laid in the year 1952. At the time of reorganization of the city in the year 1966, it was decided that Chandigarh will serve as the capital of the states of Haryana as well as Punjab, and was declared as one of the Union Territories of India that would come under direct administrative control of the Government of India.

The city is considered to be the dream city of the first prime minister of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Substantial space was provided for parks and gardens in the plan of the city. Chandigarh travel guide provides all the necessary information you need about the city.

Chandigarh Quick Facts

State: Punjab
Area: 114 km2
Population: 960,787 (2011 census)
Languages: Punjabi, Hindi and English
STD Code: 0172
Weather: Summer 20 to 45°C / Winter 2 to 26°C
Best Season: Sept - Mar

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