Chandigarh, India’s equivalent of Milton Keynes
Chandigarh was designed by a French designer Le Corbusier in the 1950’s and is the state Capitol of Haryana and Punjab.
It was designed along the lines of a modular man and is set on a grid system with each area being assigned a number rather than a name.
The Capitol Complex is the ‘head’, the main shopping ares, Sector 17, is the ‘heart’. Next to that is the ‘lungs’ a stretch of garden area with a huge rose garden in the centre.
The city’s residential areas make up the ‘torso’, each road or boulevard are very generous two lanes with trees and shrubs planted along side. It’s said that each boulevard is planted in different species to ensure there are trees/plants in flower all year round.
Having said all of this, the thing that stands out the most is how the drivers of both cars and bikes conform to the traffic laws!!! They stay in lane, they obey traffic lights, they keep to the speed limits and riders all wear helmets!!!! All down to the fact that there are multiple cameras and that there is a R1,000 fine for each offence and it seems the police are on it.
Such a shame as we were here over night so only had a chance to go to the celebrated Rock Garden of Chandigarh. We also wanted to take a sunset walk around the lake, but it was closed!
This garden was created over the years illegally by a guy called Nek Chand and was discovered by the authorities in 1975. It’s all dug out below ground level so couldn’t be seen. It covers 4 acres (1.6ha).
Everything has been made with discarded materials like broken plates, fuse switches, broken glass, bangles. All which have been reused and reinvented.
It was mind blowing.
It seems when it was discovered the authorities were going to just fill it in but locals objected and now there’s a charity trust that runs looks after it. After all the effort he put in it would have been a crime to destroy it.
