Chandigarh – Information about Capital of Punjab & Haryana


History of Chandigarh

Chandigarh got its name from Chandi Mandir, devoted to Goddess Chandi, near Panchkula. Chandigarh is the home of Harappans about 8000 years ago. After partition of India, British Province of Punjab was divided into East Punjab in India and West Punjab in Pakistan. Chandigarh was made the capital of then East Punjab. On 1st November 1966, Haryana was formed from eastern portion of Punjab for Haryanvi speaking people. Chandigarh which is at border of two states was made into Union territory as well as capital of two states. Chandigarh is the first planned city in India, planned by French architect Le Corbusier.

Geography of Chandigarh
Chandigarh is located near the foothills of Himalayas in Northwest India. Temperature varies from -1 degree Celsius to 46 degree Celsius. 3245 hectors of land is converted into forest, making it heaven for wildlife. Chandigarh has an average elevation of 321 meters from sea level and spread in 114 sq kms.

Government and Administration of Chandigarh
Since Chandigarh is Union Territory, it is ruled by Union Government of India. Chandigarh Municipal Corporation takes care of civic administration of the state. Chandigarh doesn’t come under any state though it is the capital of Punjab and Haryana states. Chandigarh houses Punjab and Haryana High court which is responsible of Jurisdiction in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. City contributes one member to Indian Assembly.

Language and Culture of Chandigarh
Chandigarh houses different cultural people and preserves the different cultures that come from different cities. Chandigarh encourages diverse groups to intermingle with each other; hence you find several bhavans and sabhas which promote different culture. Places of worship are in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa and North Indian styles.  City gives you different choices of cuisines. Punjabi is widely spoken in the city followed by Hindi, English and Haryanvi

Educational Institutes of Chandigarh
Panjab University, one of the oldest Universities is housed here. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Government Medical College and Hospital, Govt Homeopathy College and Ayurvedic College are the colleges related to medical sciences in the city. They are many colleges which are offering different courses.

Transport Facilities in Chandigarh
Chandigarh airport is a customs airport for cargo. Commercial International flights are suspended due to the presence of Air Force Base on the same run way. International terminal is under construction, which was schduled to open on March 2015. Chandigarh railway station comes under Northern Railway zone. Proposed Chandigarh Metro is expected to start working by 2018. National Highways 21 and 22 passes through the city. Chandigarh Transport Undertaking operates public transport buses.

Tourism in Chandigarh
Sukhna Lake is an artificial lake created in 1958. Rock Garden also known as Nek Chand Rock Garden has numerous sculptures made of various discarded waste materials. Rose Garden or Zakir Hussain Rose garden contains nearly 825 varieties of roses and 32500 varieties of other medical plants and trees, spread in forty acres. Leisure Valley consists of many theme parks, botanical gardens and green belts spread in 8 kms. The New Lake, Capitol complex, City Centre, Le Corbusier Centre, Open Hand Monument, International Doll Museum, Government Museum and Art Gallery and Japanese Garden are some of the tourist destinations.

Festivals Celebrated in Chandigarh
Baisakhi festival is celebrated in the month of April, which marks the beginning of harvest season. Chandigarh Mango festival is celebrated in June, which gives platforms to display different types of mangoes. Festivals of garden are celebrated in the month of February for three days. Chandigarh Carnival is celebrated in November for three days to promote creativity and talents of people of Chandigarh. Chrysanthemums show is a famous flow show celebrated in the month of December. Chandigarh Plaza carnival is a weekly show to encourage local artists. Teej festival is the festival of monsoons, celebrated in August, in which women participate enthusiastically.

Post a Comment

0 Comments