Chandigarh City Beautiful: Green Spaces and Mid-Century Architecture

For those following our journey, this is the 5th installment of my Indian travelogue. Following our heavenly stay in the Himalayan foothills of Simla, we travelled by car to Chandigarh, a modern city born out of India’s partition in 1947. Chandigarh is unique in many respects, not the least as a centrally planned city in India designed by famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.

In January 2004 I visited Chandigarh to participate in the 21st Indian Science Congress. My main impression of this initial visit was of unheated venues and delay in departure of my train to Delhi due to the winter fog which obscured cows on the rails. Beyond Ananda Chakrabarty’s Tech Transfer Panel where I spoke on Bayh-Dole, the big highlight for me was witnessing the romantic arrival President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam, himself a scientist, by special Presidential saloon (train).

At that time I was traveling often to India on the corporate treadmill of conferences and consultations. I did not have an opportunity to stay beyond the day of my Science Congress panel to explore Chandigarh’s famous rose gardens – a 30 acre botanical garden with seemingly endless rose varieties – and iconic architecture. So I resolved to return to Chandigarh with my husband when we traveled together to India. And we did – a mere 21 years later!

As a side note: on my first trip to India my close friend and colleague Krishna Sarma took me to the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in Uttar Pradesh. It was a wonderful experience – I still have the photos – and during subsequent trips I had opportunities for brief stays at the Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur, Rajastan and the see the black sand beaches and Cathedrals of Goa. For my husband’s first trip, my goal was to visit more out of the way places that I thought he would like to explore. He does not like the huge crowds of people that we would surely have to contend with during the high tourist season at the Taj Mahal, Goa or Rajasthan. So we opted for the green, peaceful and architecturally iconic Chandigarh which exceeded all expectations.

We stayed in Chandigarh at the Hyatt Centric – a hotel with modernist design inspired by Le Corbusier’s architecture and located close to the heart of Sector 17 (close by to the Rose Garden and other outdoor destinations). We spent most of stay walking around Sukhna Lake, visiting the lovely 6.5 acre Chandigarh Bird Park bird sanctuary, touring the Capitol Complex and of course the Rose Garden. The December weather was perfect for spending time outside – mild temperatures and no rainfall.

The Chandigarh Capital Complex was a highlight of our visit. Security was high during our stay – not daunting to Israeli passport holders – and it was necessary to register in advance for the complimentary guided tour of the government buildings, which were built between 1951 – 1965 and remain in use today. These include the Secretariat (like the Washington DC Old Executive Office Building), the Legislative Assembly and the High Court. These iconic buildings have been captured in print by photographer Roberto Conte. Here is one photo of the High Court that someone insisted on taking of Matt and me that does not do it justice!

Chandigarh has developed in harmony with the vision of its architect Le Corbusier on a human scale over the decades. In fact it is widely known as “The City Beautiful” due to its effective urban design, and abundance of public parks and gardens. We also saw many locals and visitors enjoying the outdoor amenities and were frequently approached with requests for photos. (Another theme of our trip.) The school children were well behaved and charming.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in beautiful Chandigarh and have a lot more left for a return trip. We did not have time to visit highlights like the famous Rock Garden (too long a queue!) or any of the museums. We look forward to the next opportunity.

Our next destination was something completely different: India’s urban and industrial capital Mumbai.