The capital city of both Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh is situated at the foothills of the Shivalik ranges (the Lower Himalayas), which makes for some pretty spectacular mountain backdrop views.

Touted as India's first planned city, Chandigarh is divided into neat blocks measuring approximately 1.3 kms by 1 km, called Sectors, which are further sub-divided into 4 parts (pragmatically called A, B, C and D). The houses too are numbered rather systematically, because of which, finding your way around a sector becomes very easy.

The open hand symbol of Chandigarh, signifies unity.

Designed by the French architect Le Corbusier, the construction of Chandigarh started in the 1950s, placing it among the younger cities of India. This is also a reason why Chandigarh does not have too much to offer, in terms of the "old-Indian charm" and barely any historical landmarks.

However the Himlayan backdrop, the wide roads, modern amenities and abundant patches of greenery, make it a very pleasant place to stay in/ visit.

Another interesting feature are the cycle tracks, which are built across all the sectors originally conceived by Le Corbusier. Chandigarh also has the one-of-it's-kind Rock Garden. Conceptualized and implemented by Nek Chand, this is an enclosure, which has a number of very interesting and eye catching statues made primarily of waste material, such as broken cups, saucers, bangles, etc. Close to the Rock Garden is the Sukhna Lake - a beautiful artificial lake where you can take a walk along the walkway, or rent a paddle boat for some time.

Among the other things that Chandigarh offers, are a serious of very well sculptured traffic round-abouts. Their upkeep is usually sponsored by a nearby shop/ establishment, and are very well maintained.

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