Sector 17

Sector 17 Chandigarh is the heart of "city beautiful." Main Buildings, shops etc :-I.S.B.T Chandigarh, Court Complex, City Center 17 Plaza, Tdi Mall, KC Mall, Neelam Cinema, All Branded Showrooms, restaurants, pubs, disco, Hot Millions, SBI Building Local head office, Bank Squire, estate office, fashionable clothing stores, licensing authority, Music World, Hotel Taj, Shivalik View, and many smaller businesses, in the lower and upper levels of the plaza buildings, items to be found include tailoring supplies, and tailors, jewelry, electronics, awards manufacturers, books, fabrics/clothing and regional imports. The plaza in this sector is home to many events, tradeshows, and concerts.

Chandigarh being a modern planned city has the best managed shopping areas with the perfectly lined up shopping arcades, well managed and ample embarked parking lots, and well behaved shoppers in general. Unlike other tourist destinations in India, Chandigarh is not a city steeped in history and heritage. So shopping in Chandigarh is a different experience.

The most popular shopping arcade is in Sector 17, which is also known as City Centre. Planned around four pedestrian concourses meeting at a central chowk (intersection), the Sector 17 of Chandigarh is a pedestrian’s paradise dotted with fountains, sculptures, and groves of trees.

Sector -17 provides you with huge selection for clothes, shoes, electronics, sports goods, books and anything an avid shopper seeks. Here, you can find virtually anything and everything.

Other than a government store Phulkari, Sector –17 does not hold much in terms of ethnic Indian shopping, there is no traditional item that is specific to Chandigarh, but one can go for the famous curly-toed Punjabi jootis, embroidered Punjabi dupattas (stoles) in vivid colours and a wide collection of woolens sourced from Ludhiana (famous for hosiery and woolen industry, this place is 100 Kms from Chandigarh.

Rose Garden

Zakir Rose Garden in Chandiarh is Asia's largest Rose garden.This garden was created in 1967, under the expert guidance of Dr M.S. Randhawa, Chandigarh's first Chief Commissioner, 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 end of February or beginning of March, which is one of the major attractions among the residents of chandigarh and surroundings. During which many compititions, contests and cultural shows are organised accompanies with stalls spread along the Jan Marg on the strech between Sector 17 and Sector 16.

Apart from serving as a host of other events, the Zakir Rose Garden serves as the venue for hosting the annual Festival of Gardens, a major cultural event of the city during the month of March. Celebrated mainly as a tribute to the magnificence of the rose itself, the attractions include food, drinks, joyrides, and contests of varying nature, such as photography, gardening, landscaping, bonsai, and Rose Prince and Princess. The contests are open to the residents or institutions from nearby places.

Sukhna Lake

Sukhna Lake(Hindi: सुख़ना) in Chandigarh, India is an artificial lake at the foothills of the Himalayas, the Shivalik hills. This 3 km² rainfed lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills. Originally the seasonal flow entered the lake directly causing heavy siltation. To check the inflow of silt, 25.42 km² of land was acquired in the catchment area and put under vegetation. In 1974, the Choe was diverted and made to bypass the lake completely, the lake being fed by three siltation pots, minimising the entry of silt into the lake itself.

The creation of the lake was one of the greatest gift from Le Corbusier and the Chief Engineer P L Verma to the city of Chandigarh. To preserve its tranquility Corbusier insisted that it be forbidden to motor boats and the top of the dam (promenade) prohibited to vehicular traffic. The lake is fringed by a golf course to the south, and Nek Chand's famous Rock Garden of Chandigarh to its west.

Sukhna is an inseparable part of the city of Chandigarh. Le Corbusier had foreseen that the residents of the city would be drawn it for the 'care of the body and spirit'. The city planners were deeply attached to the lake. So much so that Pierre Jeanneret's ashes were immersed in the lake in 1970 as per his wishes by his niece.

The roof of the 'bandh' or dam has become a favorite promenade. Serious walkers pursue an exercise regime, families enjoy an evening stroll and nature lovers mingle with children on roller skates. Photographers and painters love to capture its scenic beauty of the setting sun, or the heavily clouded monsoon sky, or the early morning mist in winter set amidst the tranquility of the lake. Even anglers do not leave unrewarded.

Sukhna has a membership-based Lake Club with lawns, a gym, indoor games, swimming pool and tennis courts with both synthetic and grass courts. Boating, rowing, sculling, sailing, kayaking and water skiing can be enjoyed throughout the year.

The lake, which was the venue for the Asian Rowing Championships, has the longest channel for rowing and yachting events in Asia. It also has facilities for other water sports like water surfing, skiing and skulling.

Sukhna is a sanctuary for many exotic migratory birds like the Siberian duck, Storks and Cranes, during the winter months. The lake has been declared as a protected national wetland by the Government of India.

During summers, there are streams of men, women and children from all walks of life offering voluntary service to desilt the lake bed for about three months. This annual ritual has been a regular feature since long ago.

Sukhna Lake is the venue for many festive celebrations too. The most popular is the Mango Festival held during the monsoons when scores of varieties of mangoes are on display. From time-to-time other food festivals, featuring specialities from different Indian States, are also held here, along with cultural performances.

Rock Garden

The Rock Garden or Rock Garden of Chandigarh 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-acres (160,000 m²), it is completely built of industrial & home waste and thrown-away items.It is situated near Sukhna Lake. It consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and many other sculptures that have been made of scrap & other kinds of wastes (bottles, glasses, bangles, tiles, ceramic pots, sinks, electrical waste, etc) which are placed in walled paths.

Chandigarh rock garden is an epitome of creativity and innovation. It is a unique garden that consists of various art objects. But the best part about the rock garden is that each of its artwork has been made by using industrial & urban waste. It is located in Sector 1 between the Capitol Complex and Sukhna Lake. The credit for laying its foundation goes to Nek Chand, who was the then Road Inspector in the Engineering Department of Chandigarh Capital Project.

Rock garden has been established in the form of an open-air exhibition hall. The garden houses sculptures made by using a variety of different discarded waste materials like frames, mudguards, forks, handle bars, metal wires, play marbles, porcelain, auto parts, broken bangles etc. Rock garden in Chandigarh, India is a unique creation and connoisseurs come from different parts of the world to see this amazing garden.

Culture and Education

Culture and contemporary life

The culture of Chandigarh is an amalgamation of the cultures of the neighboring states with an urban tinge. The setting up of Rajiv Gandhi Software Technology Park has also added to its semi -cosmopolitan identity. Primarily, Chandigarh's culture is influenced by Punjabi, Haryanavi, Himachali, UP and Bihar.

Education

Gandhi Bhavan built by Pierre Jeanneret for Punjab University
Chandigarh is known for its quality school education.[citation needed] The schools are affiliated to different types of school curricula. The prominent colleges in Chandigarh include GGDSD College, Punjab Engineering College, University Business School (UBS), Chandigarh College Of Engineering & Technology (CCET), University Institute Of Engineering & Technology (UIET), DAV College, MCM DAV College, Government College for Girls and Boys and Government Teacher Training College. One of the most popular university that is situated in chandigarh is Panjab University Chandigarh. Other popular schools in Chandigarh are Sacred Heart Convent School Sector 26, Bhavan Vidyalaya Sector 27, Yadvindra Public School (Y.P.S) Mohali ,St Xavier's School Sec-44 , St.Stephen's School Sec-45, Shivalik Public School, Vivek High School, St. John's High School, St. Kabir ,Carmel Convent Sec-9, St. Joseph's Sr. Sec. School Sec-44, St. Anne's School Sec-32, Delhi Public School Sec 40, etc. There are model schools set up by the government in various sectors, originally aimed to cater the needs of each sector. It is a major study hub for students all over Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Bihar, Uttaranchal, and also for students from South-East Asia. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER)is a premier medical research institute which works with the primary mandate of medical research and Post-Graduate medical education. The institute serves as prime tertiary level medical care facility for the region. The institute was formed by the act of parliament and is centrally governed.

Environment

Most of Chandigarh is covered by dense Banyan and Eucalyptus plantations. Asoka, Cassia, Mulberry and other trees flourish in the forested ecosystem.The city has forests surrounding it which sustain many animal and plant species. Deers, Sambars, Barking Deers, Parrots, Woodpeckers and Peacocks inhabit the protected forests. Sukhna Lake hosts a variety of ducks and geese, and attracts migratory birds from parts of Siberia and Japan in the winter season.
A parrot sanctuary located in the city is home to a variety of bird species.

Architecture and urban planning

Chandigarh Secretariat Building
Taking over from Albert Mayer, Le Corbusier produced a plan for Chandigarh that conformed to the modern city planning principles of Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne CIAM, in terms of division of urban functions, an anthropomorphic plan form, and a hierarchy of road and pedestrian networks. This vision of Chandigarh, contained in the innumerable conceptual maps on the drawing board together with notes and sketches had to be translated into brick and mortar. Le Corbusier retained many of the seminal ideas of Mayer and Nowicki, like the basic framework of the master plan and its components: The Capitol, City Center, besides the University, Industrial area, and linear parkland. Even the neighborhood unit was retained as the basic module of planning. However, the curving outline of Mayer and Nowicki was reorganized into a mesh of rectangles, and the buildings were characterized by an "honesty of materials". Exposed brick and boulder stone masonry in its rough form produced unfinished concrete surfaces, in geometrical structures. This became the architectural form characteristic of Chandigarh, set amidst landscaped gardens and parks.
The Open Hand Monument
Chandigarh Museum and Art gallery have a separate section dedicated to the architecture of Chandigarh.

Chandigarh administration

Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh
Chandigarh Administration is under the control of the Administrator who is appointed under the provisions of Art 239 of the Constitution. The administrative control of Chandigarh is under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Adviser to the Administrator, a very senior officer equivalent to the Chief Secretary of a state, belonging to one of the All India Services, is second in command after the Administrator. S/He generally belongs to the AGMU cadre of the Indian Administrative Service.
The Deputy Commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, is the in-charge of the General Administration in the Chandigarh UT.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service, is responsible for maintaining Law & Order and related issues in the Chandigarh UT.
The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, is responsible for the management of the Forests, Environment, Wild-Life and Pollution Control in the Chandigarh UT.
The above three officers are generally from AGMU cadre and can also be from Punjab or Haryana cadres of the All India Services.

Geography and climate

Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in Northwest India. It covers an area of approximately 44 sq mi or 114 km². and shares its borders with the states of Haryana in the east and Punjab in the north, west and south. The exact cartographic co-ordinates of Chandigarh are 30.74°N 76.79°E.[9] It has an average elevation of 321 metres (1053 ft).
Chandigarh
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
33 206
39 238
30 2813
9 3519
28 3823
145 3925
280 3424
308 3323
133 3322
22 3217
9 2711
22 227
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: World Weather Information Service]Imperial conversion
The surrounding districts are of Mohali, Patiala and Roopnagar in Punjab and Panchkula and Ambala in Haryana. The boundary of the state of Himachal Pradesh is also minutes away from its north border.
Chandigarh has a humid subtropical climate characterized by a seasonal rhythm: very hot summers, mild winters, unreliable rainfall and great variation in temperature (-1 °C to 41.2 °C). In winter, pieces of snow sometimes occurs during December and January. The average annual rainfall is 1110.7 mm. The city also receives occasional winter rains from the west.
[edit]Average temperature
Spring: The climate remains quite pleasant during the spring season (from mid-February to mid-March and then from mid-September to mid-October). Temperatures vary between (max) 16 °C to 25 °C and (min) 9 °C to 18 °C.
Autumn: In autumn (from Mid-March to April), the temperature may rise to a maximum of 36 °C. Temperatures usually remain between 16° to 27° in autumn. The minimum temperature is around 11 °C.
Summer: The temperature in summer (from Mid-May to Mid-June) may rise to a maximum of 45 °C (rarely). Temperatures generally remain between 35 °C to 40 °C (94 - 101F).
Monsoon: During monsoon(from mid-June to mid-September), Chandigarh receives moderate to heavy rainfall and sometimes heavy to very heavy rainfall (generally during the month of August or September). Usually, the rain bearing monsoon winds blow from south-west/ south-east. Mostly, the city receives heavy rain from south (which is mainly a persistent rain) but it generally receives most of its rain during monsoon either from North-west or North-east. Maximum amount of rain received by the city of Chandigrah during monsoon season is 195.5 mm in a single day.
Winter: Winters (November to Mid-March) are mild but it can sometimes get quite chilly in Chandigarh. Average temperatures in the winter remain at (max) 7 °C to 15 °C and (min) -3 °C to 5 °C. Rain usually comes from the west during winters and it is usually a persistent rain for 2–3 days with sometimes hail-storms.

History

After the partition of British India into the two nations of India and Pakistan in 1947, the region of Punjab was also split between India and Pakistan. The Indian state of Punjab required a new capital city to replace Lahore, which became part of Pakistan during the partition.[8] After several plans to make additions to existing cities were found to be infeasible for various reasons, the decision to construct a new and planned city was undertaken. Of all the new town schemes in independent India, the Chandigarh project quickly assumed prime significance, because of the city's strategic location as well as the personal interest of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. Commissioned by Nehru to reflect the new nation's modern, progressive outlook, Chandigarh was designed by the French (born Swiss) architect and urban planner, Le Corbusier, in the 1950s. Le Corbusier was in fact the second architect of the city, after the initial master plan was prepared by the American architect-planner Albert Mayer who was working with the Poland-born architect Matthew Nowicki.
On 1 November 1966, the newly-formed Indian state of Haryana was carved out of the eastern portion of the Punjab, in order to create Haryana as a majority Hindi speaking state, while the western portion of Punjab retained a mostly Punjabi language-speaking majority and remained as the current day Punjab. However, the city of Chandigarh was on the border, and was thus created into a union territory to serve as capital of both these states.