Chandigarh Tourism, Punjab
About Chandigarh
Located at the foothills of Shivalik ranges, Chandigarh, the best-planned city of India, is the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Spread over an area of 114 sq. km, there is no forest cover in this union territory, except some small tracks. Chandigarh is globally known for its architecture and quality of life. The city has been planned in a manner where all the sectors are built in identical looking rectangular patterns. It is one of the richest cities of India enjoying very high per capita income. Chandigarh is a paradise for nature lovers with the presence of beautiful parks and gardens and pollution free air. The Sukhna Lake in the middle of the city gives the city an enthralling and serene aura.
History of Chandigarh
Chandigarh, the face of modern India, is the manifestation of a dream that Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru envisaged and Le Corbusier executed. Prior to the partition of India, Lahore was the capital city of undivided Punjab. But, after the partition, West Punjab gone in Pakistan with retaining Lahore as its capital and East Punjab in India became a state without a capital. At that time, Shimla, the summer capital of India, was selected as the temporary capital of Punjab and the Government of Punjab started efforts to select permanent Capital City for the state of Punjab. Finally in March 1948, by lobbying with the bureaucrats and the politicians, the Government of Punjab with the consent of 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- ‘Chandigarh’ to the new city.