Chandigarh

Chandigarh
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Famous French architect Le Corbusier


Chandigarh is a city and union territory in India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is derived from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to theHindu goddess Chandi, near the city.[4]
The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post independence in 1947 (pre-independence planned cities include Dispur in Assam, New Delhi in Delhi, Jaipurin Rajasthan, etc.) and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design.[5]The city has projects designed by architects such as Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret,Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry. The city tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with the highest per capita income in the country at  99,262 (US$1,700) at current prices and  70,361 (US$1,200) at constant prices (2006–2007).[6] The city was reported in 2010 to be the "cleanest" in India, based on a national government study,[7]and the territory also headed the list of Indian states and territories according to research conducted using 2005 data by Human Development Index.[8]

History[edit]
After the Partition of India in 1947, the former British province of Punjab was also split between east Punjab in India and west Punjab in Pakistan. The Indian Punjab required a new capital city to replace Lahore, which became part of Pakistan during the partition.[9] After several plans to make additions to existing cities were found to be unfeasible 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 Mayerwho was working with the Polish-born architect Matthew Nowicki.[citation needed]

Chandigarh hosts the largest of Le Corbusier's many Open Hand sculptures, standing 26 metres high. The Open Hand (La Main Ouverte) is a recurring motif in Le Corbusier's architecture, a sign for him of "peace and reconciliation. It is open to give and open to receive." It represents the give and take of ideas.[10] However, two of the six monuments planned in the the Capitol Complex which has the High Court, the Assembly and the Secretariat, remain incomplete. These include Geometric Hill and Martyrs Memorial, drawings were made, their execution however was never fully accomplished after starting out in 1956.[11]

On 1 November 1966, the newly formed Indian state of Haryana was carved out of the eastern portion of Punjab, in order to create Haryana as a majority Hindi-speaking people, while the western portion of Punjab retained a mostly Punjabi language-speaking majority and remained as the current federated state of 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.[12]
Geography and climate[edit]


Sukhna Lake
Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in northwest India. It covers an area of approximately 44.5 sq mi or 114 km². and shares its borders with the states of Haryana and Punjab. The exact cartographic co-ordinates of Chandigarh are 30.74°N 76.79°E.[13] It has an average elevation of 321 metres (1053 ft).



[show]Imperial conversion
The surrounding districts are Mohali, Patiala and Roopnagar in Punjab, Panchkula andAmbala in Haryana. The boundary of the state of Himachal Pradesh is also minutes away from its north border.

Chandigarh has a humid subtropical climate characterised by a seasonal rhythm: very hot summers, mild winters, unreliable rainfall and great variation in temperature (-1 °C to 41.2 °C). The average annual rainfall is 1110.7 mm. The city also receives occasional winter rains from the Western Disturbance originating over the Mediterranean Sea. Cold winds usually tend to come from the north near Shimla, capital of Himanchal Pradesh and from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, both of which receive their share of snowfall during wintertime.
Average temperature[edit]

• Spring: The climate remains the most enjoyable part of the year during the spring season (from mid-February to mid-April). Temperatures vary between (max) 16 °C to 25 °C and (min) 9 °C to 18 °C.

• Autumn: In autumn (from Mid-September to mid November.), 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) 0 °C to 8 °C. Rain usually comes from the west during winters and it is usually a persistent rain for 2–3 days with sometimes hail-storms.


Shanti Kunj Gardens
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 deer, 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 in the city is home to a variety of bird species. It has popular gardens, e.g. Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Rock Garden, Terrace Garden, Bougainvillea Garden, Shanti Kunj and many others.
Architecture and urban planning[edit]


Le Corbusier, the Swiss architect who planned the city's map


National History Museum
In terms of division of urban functions, an anthropomorphic plan form, and a hierarchy of road and pedestrian networks. The residential neighbourhoods are also organised according to an economic hierarchy with different types of housing for rich and poor.
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, was led by the chief engineer appointed to the project, Ajit Gill. 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 Centre, besides the University, Industrial area, and linear parkland. Even the neighbourhood unit was retained as the basic module of planning. However, the curving outline of Mayer and Nowicki was reorganised into a mesh of rectangles, and the buildings were characterised 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 Chandigarh Museum and Art Gallery has a separate section dedicated to the architecture of Chandigarh.
Chandigarh administration[edit]

Chandigarh administration is under the control of the administrator who is appointed under the provisions of Article 239 of the Constitution of India.[citation needed] The administrative control of Chandigarh is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.[clarification needed] The Adviser to the Administrator, a very senior officer equivalent to the Chief Secretary of a state,[citation needed] belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, is second in command after the administrator. She/ he generally belongs to the AGMU{viz., the three States of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Goa, and Union Territories viz., A&N Islands; Chandigarh; Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli; Delhi; Lakshadweep and Puducherry.} 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 and 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 and wildlife in the Chandigarh UT
• Member Secretary, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee is responsible for pollution control in UT of Chandigarh
The above three officers are generally from AGMU cadre and can be from Haryana or Punjab cadres of the All India Services.
Demographics[edit]

[show]Chandigarh Population As of 2011 India census, Chandigarh had a population of 960,787 with metro population of 1,025,682,[2] making for a density of about 7900 persons per square kilometre.[citation needed] Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. The sex ratio is 829 females for every 1,000 males[2] –which is the lowest in the country,[citation needed] up from 777 in 2001. Chandigarh has an average literacy rate of 86.77%, higher than the national average; with male literacy of 90.81% and female literacy of 81.88%.[2] 10.8% of the population is under 6 years of age.[2]
Economy[edit]


Legislative Assembly by Le Corbusier 

Punjab and Haryana High Court by Le Corbusier
The RBI ranked Chandigarh as the twelfth largest deposit centre and tenth largest credit centre nationwide as of June 2012.
The government is a major employer in Chandigarh with three governments having their base here. A significant percentage of Chandigarh’s population therefore consists of people who are either working for one of these governments or have retired from government service. For this reason, Chandigarh is often called a “Pensioner's Paradise”. Ordnance Cable Factory of the Ordnance Factories Board has been setup by the Government of India. There are about 15 medium to large industries including two in the Public sector. In addition Chandigarh has over 2500 units registered under small-scale sector. The important industries are paper manufacturing, basic metals and alloys and machinery. Other industries are relating to food products, sanitary ware, auto parts, machine tools, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances. Yet, with a per capita income of   99,262, Chandigarh is the richest city in India.[16] Chandigarh's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $2.2 billion in current prices.
Three major trade promotion organisations have their offices in Chandigarh. These are: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, (FICCI) the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which has its regional headquarters at Sector 31, Chandigarh.
Chandigarh IT Park (also known as Chandigarh Technology Park) is the city's attempt to break into the information technology world. Chandigarh's infrastructure, proximity to Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and the IT talent pool attracts IT businesses looking for office space in the area. Major Indian firms and multinational corporations to the like of Quark, Infosys, Dell, IBM,TechMahindra have set up base in the city and its suburbs. According to a 2007 survey, Chandigarh is ranked ninth in the top 50 cities identified globally as "emerging outsourcing and IT services destinations".[17]
Education[edit]
See also: List of educational institutions in Chandigarh


Gandhi Bhavan built by Pierre Jeanneretfor Punjab University
There are numerous education institutions in Chandigarh. These range from privately and publicly operated schools to colleges and the Panjab University. These institutions are a large draw for students from around the world.[18]
Transport[edit]


Chandigarh Airport old terminal


Chandigarh Airport from inside
Chandigarh has the largest number of vehicles per capita in India.[19] Wide, well maintained roads and parking spaces all over the city ease local transport.
The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) operates public transport buses from its Inter State Bus Terminals (ISBT) in Sectors 17 and 43 of the city.[20] CTU also operates frequent bus services to the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and to Delhi. Chandigarh is well connected by road by NH 22 (Ambala — Kalka — Shimla — Kinnaur) and NH 21 (Chandigarh — Leh).
Chandigarh Railway Station lies in the Northern Railway zone of the Indian Railway network. Scheduled trains connect Chandigarh to
• Delhi (Chandigarh Shatabdi, Kalka Shatabdi, Una Jan Shatabdi etc.)
• Mumbai (Chandigarh – Bandra Express)
• Kolkata (Chandigarh – Kolkata Express via. Lucknow)
• Indore (Indore - Chandigarh Express)
• Amritsar (Chandigarh – Amritsar Intercity Express)
• Jaipur (Ajmer – Chandigarh Garibrath)
Bhopal, Lucknow, Ambala, Panipat and Kalka amongst other cities.
Chandigarh Airport has scheduled commercial flights to major cities of India including New Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Jaipur and Srinagar. A new international terminal is under construction.
The Chandigarh Metro Rail is expected to start working by 2018 along with the proposed Kolkata Metro and Indore Metro[21]
The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP)'s Asian Centre is also located in Chandigarh.
Entertainment[edit]
Chandigarh is home to numerous inter state sporting teams like Kings XI Punjab in The Indian Premier League (IPL). The city has currently 3 single screen cinema halls namely Batra, Neelam and Kiran while it also has various malls and multiplexes like PVR Centra mall, Wave Emporium mall, DT mall, Fun republic and the recently opened Elante mall which is the largest mall in North India. It also has two gardens of international repute- Rock garden in sector 1 and Zakir Hussain Rose garden in sector 16. The latter has the distinction of being the largest of its kind in Asia.


Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, the largest in Asia
A waterfall in Rock Garden, Chandigarh

Notable people born in Chandigarh[edit] 

• Neerja Bhanot, Flight attendant and model
• Jeev Milkha Singh, professional golfer
• Yuvraj Singh, Indian international cricketer
• Kapil Dev, Former Indian international cricketer
• Dinesh Mongia, Indian international cricketer
• Abhinav Bindra, Olympic gold medalist shooter
• Navalpreet Rangi, Documentary filmmaker
• Kiron Kher, Indian actress and theatre artist
• Gul Panag, Indian film actress
• Ayushman Khurrana, Indian Film actor
• Nek Chand Saini, Indian artist and creator of the Rock Garden of Chandigarh
• Yami Gautam, Indian film actress
• Mukesh Gautam, Punjabi film director
• Surveen Chawla, Indian Film Actress
• Ramesh Kumar Nibhoria, Winner of Ashden Awards-UK
Gallery[edit]
•  
Punjab and Haryana High Court

•  
Rock Garden

•  
Secretariat Building

•  
Rose Garden
See also[edit]


About Chandigarh

Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.
Chandigarh derives its name from the temple of "Chandi Mandir" located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity 'Chandi', the goddess of power and a fort of 'garh' laying beyond the temple gave the city its name "Chandigarh-The City Beautiful".

The city has a pre-historic past. The gently sloping plains on which modern Chandigarh exists, was in the ancient past, a wide lake ringed by a marsh. The fossil remains found at the site indicate a large variety of aquatic and amphibian life, which was supported by that environment. About 8000 years ago the area was also known to be a home to the Harappans.

Since the medieval through modern era, the area was part of the large and prosperous Punjab Province which was divided into East & West Punjab during partition of the country in 1947. The city was conceived not only to serve as the capital of East Punjab, but also to resettle thousands of refugees who had been uprooted from West Punjab.

In March, 1948, the Government of Punjab, in consultation with the Government of India, approved the area of the foothills of the Shivaliks as the site for the new capital. The location of the city site was a part of the erstwhile Ambala district as per the 1892-93 gazetteer of District Ambala. The foundation stone of the city was laid in 1952. Subsequently, at the time of reorganization of the state on 01.11.1966 into Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pardesh, the city assumed the unique distinction of being the capital city of both, Punjab and Haryana while it itself was declared as a Union Territory and under the direct control of the Central Government.

Fact File

The basic geographical and demographic profile of Chandigarh is as under:

Area 114 sq kms
Longitude 760 47' 14E
Latitude 300 44' 14N
Altitude 304-365 meters above MSL with 1% drainage gradient
Annual Rainfall (average) 1110.7 mm
Monsoon July-September
Temperature
Winter Min. (Nov.-Jan, 2006) 10 C-160 C

Summer Max. (April-July, 2004) 270C-440C

Prevalent Winds From the North West to South East in Winter and reverse in Summer
Total Population (2001 census)
9,00,635 (Rural population-92120 (10.2%)

(Urban population-808515 (89.8%)

Density of population/sq. km. 7,900
Birth Rate (per 1000) 21.45 (2005)
Death Rate (per 1000) 10.22 (2005)
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000) 44.13
Sex Ratio (females per 1000 males) 777
Decennial Population Growth 40.33%
Literacy Rate 81.9%
Geology

The Union Territory of Chandigarh is located in the foothills of the Shivalik hill ranges in the north, which form a part of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. It is occupied by Kandi (Bhabhar) in the north east and Sirowal (Tarai) and alluvial plains in the remaining part. The subsurface formation comprises of beds of boulders, pebbles, gravel, sand, silt, clays and some kankar. The area is drained by two seasonal rivulets viz. Sukhna Choe in the east and Patiala-Ki-Rao Choe in the west. The central part forms a surface water divide and has two minor streams. The stream passing through the central part is called N-Choe and the other is Choe Nala which initiates at Sector 29.

Climate

Chandigarh falls under Koeppen's CWG category i.e. it has cold dry winter, hot summer and sub tropical monsoon. Evaporation usually exceeds precipitation and the weather is generally dry.

The area experiences four seasons : (i) Summer or hot season (mid-March to Mid-June) (ii) Rainy season (late-June to mid-September); (iii) Post monsoon autumn/transition season (mid September to mid-November); (iv) Winter (mid November to mid-March). The dry spell of summer is long but with the occasional drizzles or thunder storms. May and June are the hottest months of the year with the mean daily maximum & minimum temperatures being about 370C & 250C, respectively. Maximum temperatures can rise up to 440C. Southwest monsoons with high intensity showers commence in late June. The weather at this time is hot and humid. The variation in annual rainfall on year to year basis is appreciable i.e. 700 mm to 1200 mm. The 20 year average rainfall for Chandigarh is 1100.7 mm. January is the coldest month with mean maximum and minimum temperatures being around 230C and 3.60C respectively. Winds are generally light and blow from northwest to southeast direction with exception of easterly to southeasterly winds that blow on some days during the summer season.

The Master Plan of Chandigarh

Le Corbusier conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body, with a clearly defined head (the Capitol Complex, Sector 1), heart (the City Centre Sector-17), lungs ( the leisure valley, innumerable open spaces and sector greens), the intellect (the cultural and educational institutions), the circulatory system (the network of roads, the 7Vs) and the viscera (the Industrial Area). The concept of the city is based on four major functions: living, working, care of the body and spirit and circulation. Residential sectors constitute the living part whereas the Capitol Complex, City Centre, Educational Zone (Post Graduate Institute, Punjab Engineering College, Panjab University) and the Industrial Area constitute the working part. The Leisure Valley, Gardens, Sector Greens and Open Courtyards etc. are for the care of body and spirit. The circulation system comprises of 7 different types of roads known as 7Vs. Later on, a pathway for cyclists called V8 were added to this circulation system.

The Capital complex comprises three architectural masterpieces: the "Secretariat", the "High Court" and the "Legislative Assembly", separated by large piazzas. In the heart of the Capital Complex stands the giant metallic sculpture of The Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the city's credo of "open to given, open to receive".

The city centre (Sector 17) is the heart of Chandigarh's activities. It comprises the Inter-State Bus Terminus, Parade Ground, District Courts, etc. on one hand, and vast business and shopping center on the other. The 4-storey concrete buildings house banks and offices above and showrooms/shops at the ground level with wide pedestrian concourses. The Neelam piazza in the center has fountains with light and water features. Proposal to set up an eleven storey building in Sector 17 is in the offing. Sector 34 is another newly developed commercial sector.

Park Areas

Ample areas have been provided in the master plan of the Capital for parks.  Out of a total area of 20,000 acres acquired for the first phase, about 2000 acres are meant for development of parks. Leisure Valley, Rajendra park, Bougainvillea Park, Zakir Rose Garden, Shanti Kunj, Hibiscus Garden, Garden of Fragrance, Botanical Garden, Smriti Upavan, Topiary garden and Terraced Garden are some of the famous parks of Chandigarh. Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Government Museum and Art Gallery are major tourist attractions of Chandigarh.

One unique feature in the layout of Chandigarh is its roads, classified in accordance with their functions. An integrated system of seven roads was designed to ensure efficient traffic circulation. Corbusier referred to these as the 7'Vs. the city's vertical roads run northeast/southwest (the 'Paths'). The horizontal roads run northwest/southwest ('The Margs'). The intersect at right angles, forming a grid or network for movement.

This arrangement of road-use leads to a remarkable hierarchy of movement, which also ensures that the residential areas are segregated from the noise and pollution of traffic.

Each 'Sector' or the neighboured unit, is quite similar to the traditional Indian 'mohalla', Typically, each sectors measures 800 metres by 1200 metres, covering 250 acres of area. Each Sector is surrounded by V-2 or V-3 roads, with no buildings opening on to them. Access from the surrounding roads is available only at 4 controlled points, which roughly mark the middle of each side. Typically a sector is divided in four parts by a V-4 road running from east to west and a V-5 road running from north to south. These four parts are easily identifiable as A, B, C and D corresponding to North, East, South and West sides. Each Sector is meant to be self-sufficient, with shopping and community facilities within reasonable walking distance.

Though educational, cultural and medical facilities are spread all over city, however, major institutions are located in Sectors 10, 11, 12, 14 and 26.

The industrial area comprises 2.35 sq kms, set-aside in the Master Plan for non-polluting, light industry on the extreme southeastern side of the city near the railway line, as far away from the Educational Sectors and Capitol Complex as possible.

Tree plantation and landscaping has been an integral part of the city¿s Master Plan. Twenty six different types of flowering and 22 species of evergreen trees (Sing et. Al., 1998) have been planted along the roads, in parking areas, shopping complexes, residential areas and in the city parks, to ameliorate the harsh climate of the region, especially the hot and scorching summers.

Population Growth in the City

Chandigarh was planned for a population of half-a-million. In Phase I, 36 sq km of land was acquired by the city administration for construction of 30 sectors. Land for seventeen additional sectors (Sector 31 to 47) was acquired and developed during the second phase to cater for a population of 350,000. The predominance of ¾ storey apartments in the second phase provide for higher population dimension. However, Chandigarh has now grown beyond its planned capacity. Hence, development in the third phase has started in sectors 48 and beyond. Demographic data indicate that between 1961 and 1971, the population increased by 144.59 percent, one of the highest for urban areas in India. According to 1981 census, it grew by another 75.55 percent, followed by 42.16 percent in 1991 and by 40.33 per cent in 2001 (with a total population of 9,00,635). By 2021 the population of Chandigarh is projected to be around 19.5 lacs (at current rate of growth) almost four times for which it was originally built.