Chandigarh

Chandigarh is picturesquely located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in Northwest India and is India's first planned and green city which is rightly nicknamed as "The City Beautiful". Chandigarh derived its name from Chandi Mandir, a temple of goddess Chandi, which is located in Haryana. The master plan of this city was designed by the well-known French architect, Le Corbusier and has an unparalleled architecture. Chandigarh is one of the seven Union Territories of India and serves as a capital for two states, Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh has two satellite cities, Panchkula and Mohali.

Some well-known personalities from Chandigarh:

    * Manmohan Singh: He was born on 26 September 1932, in Gah, Punjab and got his Master's degree from Punjab University, Chandigarh. He is a member of the Indian National Congress party, and became the first Sikh Prime Minister of India on May 22, 2004.
    * Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj: Born on 6 January 1959 in Chandigarh, Kapil Dev is known as one of greatest all-rounder to have played cricket. He was the captain of Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup and also held the record for the most Test match wickets between 1994 and 1999.
    * Sabeer Bhatia: Better known as the founder of Hotmail, he was born in Chandigarh, India, in 1968.
    * Jeev Milkha Singh: Born on 15 December 1971, in Chandigarh, he was the first Indian golfer to become a member of the European Tour. He is son of famous athlete Milkha Singh.

Some must-see places in Chandigarh: The city of Chandigarh boasts of several beautiful and well maintained gardens and museums.

    * Capitol Complex: Designed by Le Corbusier, Capitol Complex is located in Sector 1, in Chandigarh, and consists of three main edifices, namely the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly and the High Court.

    * Open Hand: This is one of the most significant monument in Chandigarh. This giant hand in metal sheet rises 85 feet high from a sunken trench and rotates freely in the wind like a weather cock to indicate the direction of wind. The Open Hand is the official emblem of the Chandigarh city. The significance of open hand is that it conveys the symbolic message of peace and unity that is "open to give, open to receive".
    * Sukhna Lake: This beautiful man-made lake lies in the foothills of Shivalik range. This 3 km long lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills. This lake has gain popularity as a prime picnic spot because of its tranquil ambiance and variety of water sports activities like boating, yachting and water skiing, etc. that can be pursued here.
    * Rock Garden: This garden in Chandigarh is spread over an area of 12 acres and is a paradigm of creativity and innovation. This garden was created by a road inspector, Nek Chand, using industrial and urban wastes. Some of the interesting things that can be viewed there are armies of stone ducks, papier-mache soldiers, pig iron dancers and goblins.
    * Government Museum and Art Gallery: This museum in Chandigarh tops the itinerary of tourists. It houses a very rich collection of Gandharan sculptures, Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings. This museum has four wings: the Art Gallery, the Natural History Museum, Chandigarh Architecture Museum and National Gallery of Portraits. It also has a spacious reference library, which helps scholars and students to meet their intellectual needs.