Rock Garden

Waterfall at Rock Garden

Rock Garden is a sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India, also known as Nek Chand's Rock Garden, after its founder, Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of forty-acre (160,000 m²), it is completely built of industrial & home waste and thrown-away items

Background

The garden is most famous for its sculptures made from recycled ceramic
The Rock Garden project was secretly initiated by Nek Chand around 1957. It was discovered by the authorities in 1975, by which time it had grown into a 12-acre (49,000 m2) complex of interlinked courtyards, each filled with hundreds of pottery-covered concrete sculptures of dancers, musicians, and animals. The authorities took over, and the garden was inaugurated as a public space in 1976. It is presently run by the Rock Garden Society.
Nek Chand Saini is an Indian self-taught artist, famous for building the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, a forty-acre (160,000 m²) sculpture garden in the city of Chandigarh, India. His family moved to Chandigarh in 1947 during the Partition. At the time, the city was being redesigned as a modern utopia by the Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. It was to be the first planned city in India, and Chand found work there as a roads inspector for the Public Works Department in 1951.

Chandigarh City - History

Chandigarh (Punjabi: ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ, Hindi: चण्डीगढ़), is a union territory of India, that serves as the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name was coined from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu Goddess Chandi, present in the city's vicinity.^[2] It is occasionally referred to as The City Beautiful. Chandigarh Capital Region including Mohali, Panchkula and Zirakpur had a combined population of 1,165,111 (1.16 million) as per the 2001 census.

Known internationally for its architecture and urban planning, it is also the first planned city of India.^[3] Chandigarh is home to numerous architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer. The city tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with the highest per capita income in the country at Rs.99,262 at current prices and Rs.70,361 at constant prices (2006–2007).^[4] As per a study conducted by Ministry of Urban Development, Chandigarh has emerged as the cleanest city in India.^[5]

Sukhna Lake

Beautifully placed with mighty mountains and reserved forest land in its background Sukhna Lake is neither a natural lake nor it was a part of the original Master Plan of Chandigarh as designed by Le Corbusier. It is the result of great effrots of Chief Architect O.P. Verma who had to put in great efforts to get financial approvarl from already financially tight Government. Approved on the ground of maintaining Water table of the future city which was supposed to be a green city with lots of gardens. Sukhna Lake has emerged as the great contributor to the soul of this city beautiful. This 3 Km long (from left to right) rainfed lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a second stream coming down from the Shiwalik hills. It is a hot spot for not only tourists to this city but also a centre of activity for the residents. It is the dream jogging trekking place of nearly every health conscious resident of Chandigarh. It is also a place where families enjoy an evening stroll, painters and photographers mingle with children on roller skates to partake of this extraordinary amenity. Sukhna lake also attracts migratory birds from places as far as Siberia and elsewhere. The environment society of Chandigarh arranges gatherings of children to welcome and see off these visitors. Residents of Chandigarh love their lake, and volunteer in large numbers to de-silt it before the monsoons set in.

Rose Garden

Zakir Rose Garden in Chandigarh is Asia's largest Rose garden . This garden was created in 1967 , under the expert guidence of Dr M.S Ranhawa , Chandigarh's first Chief Comissioner , and is named after India's President , Zakir Hussain . It is spread over an area of 30 acres and have 50,000 rose-bushes of 1600 different species of roses. Its collection includes not only natural varities but also many of the hybrid varieties developed through tissue culture. Some of the varities are considered very rare ones. Best time to visit this garden is during Feb-March. During this period it is in full bloom. There is also a festival dedicated to this Garden which is celebrated in and of February or begining of March, Which is one of the major attractions among the residents of chandigarh and surroundings. During which many compitions, contests and cultural shows are organised accompanies with stalls spread along the Jan Marg on the strech between Sector 17 and Sector 16.