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.