Chandigarh

Chandigarh Cricket Holidays & Tours

Imagine your perfect city. For the people of India, Chandigarh comes close. Nicknamed the City Beautiful, it was primarily designed by the world-renowned architect Le Corbusier and commissioned following independence from Britain. Like many post-World War II projects it may lack the character of older cities. But it abounds with gardens and sculptures and definitely feels different from other Indian cities. You’ll find the usual plethora of tasty eateries and shopping opportunities but Chandigarh seems greener and less polluted.

Chandigarh highlights include the serene Sukhna Lake, fed by spring water from the hills and home to the colourful Mango Festival during Monsoon season. Leisure Valley is a reclaimed strip of land encompassing the city’s prized Rose Garden. While no Chandigarh visit is complete without a trip to the Open Hand. This 26m high sculpture, which represents peace and reconciliation, is dramatically framed by the Shivalik Hills beyond.

Rock On!

Our Chandigarh top tip is the Nek Chand Rock Garden. This eye-popping mixture of sculpture and nature is one man’s work. By day Nek was a local transport official but at night he collected the debris from the villages bulldozed to clear the ground for the new city and turned it into artwork. The result is both brilliant and bizarre. Lines of dancing girls made from broken glass bangles appear to sway alongside the rope swings in an elegant arcade of towering arches. In the garden’s 25 acres you’ll find everything from cascading waterfalls and rusting car wheels to the odd kitchen sink.

Attractions near Chandigarh

Chandigarh nestles in the foothills of the Shivalik Range providing access to a variety of picturesque hill stations and sites of natural beauty. Recommended trips include a visit to Shimla’s fine architecture and busy street markets, a boat trip on Renuka Lake or a trek through the Morni Hills.

Chandigarh