Chandigarh - Planned Harmony. Review on Chandigarh

The morning rays of the sun blend with the fading mist over the lake and the city wakes up to another day of life. Chandigarh, at the foothills of the Himalayas, is a city which was conceived by Nehru and designed by French Architect Le Corbusier. I have lived and breathed Chandigarh since birth. I have walked the greens, jogged the trails, skated the pavements, seen the ducks swimming in the still waters of the lake, known it's clear blue skies and scoured the city for the lone ice cream vendor in the middle of the night.

There is a certain planned harmony about the city, which I have not seen elsewhere in

India. The city is divided into sectors with the sum of adjacent

sectors being exactly divisible by 13, there being no sector 13. The

city projects the aesthetics of planned space that enhances quality of

living and well-being.

Right across the city from north to south, runs a seasonal stream,

the banks of which have been landscaped to provide a continuous

stretch of green. Each sector has parks and recreational centers to

provide much-needed relief from the gloom of city living. Chandigarh

is on the world map for it's famed Rock Garden, a visual treat of

craftsmanship from discarded materials, which is a reflection of the

environmental awareness within the city.

The administrative hub of the city, the Capitol Complex, houses the

seats of two state governments as well as the High court. The open

palm, the emblem of Chandigarh, arrests attention. One is aware of the

undiluted pleasure of architectural excellence, that always represents

the culture and life-style of a people.

Chandigarh has an organised network of well-maintained, wide,

metalled roads, kept clean and litter-free, moving on course to

becoming a world Heritage city by 2020 A. D. Even during the monsoons,

potholes are a rare sight. The sanitation of the city reflects the

planning and foresight of the architect.

Rapidly moving along the technological highway, with it's

developing corporate sector, internet services arrived early here,

along with the setting up of a software technology park, and the

promotion of non polluting industries. Strict enforcement of traffic

regulations and a high degree of awareness of the literate population

of the city, ensures minimum pollution levels. The landscaped

roundabouts connecting the major dividing roads are ablaze with

flowers. In the extreme winters the flowers are interspersed with city

dwellers basking in the warm sun.

The city residents adapt quickly to changing international cultural

trends. Eating joints, pubs and discotheques are the new fad here.

Various festivals are celebrated to mark the seasonal calendar,

including the rose festival, held in Asia's largest rose garden.

Musical nights and pop music festivals are popular among a fun-loving,

robust people. The residents live in total religious harmony, much

needed in today's turbulent times.

Chandigarh has it's share of population hazards. Though the city is

expanding peripherally into the satellite towns of Panchkula and

Mohali, in Haryana and Punjab respectively, yet congestion stress is

clearly visible during office hour rush.

Chandigarh is the backdrop of my growing years. I have heard birds

tweet and chatter, chirp and serenade. I have seen flowers bloom in a

profusion of colour. Chandigarh defines for me the nostalgia of

living: the laughter and play of childhood, the growing pangs of

adolescence, the existential angst of early adulthood, and the sense

of fulfilment from a life that's leading somewhere, wherever that may

be. And in the evening lull, there is both peace and turbulence like

the waves in the ocean in constant motion, yet totally static. The

orange glow of the setting sun over Chandigarh has the power to absorb

me totally.