Tourist places in and around Chandigarh
Sukhna Lake
Sukhna Lake of Chandigarh,Tourist attractions in Chandigarh, Places to see in Chandigarh, Places to visit in Chandigarh, Weekend trips from Chandigarh Excursions, Events in Chandigarh, Festivals in Chandigarh Another favorite recreation spot of the nature-loving people of Chandigarh is the Sukhna Lake in Sector 1. Created by building an artificial dam on a seasonal stream, Chandigarh's Sukhna Lake is spread over a large area. A 2-km-long promenade along the lakeshore is a popular place to be visited in Chandigarh by the tourists and localities alike.This 3 Sq. km rainfed lake was created in 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills. The roof of the ‘bund' or dam, elegantly landscaped has become a favourite promenade.
The beautiful lake provides water sport facilities like, boating, water skiing, canoeing etc. It also has a cafeteria and pub.
Other places of interest are - Govt. Museum & Art Gallery, city Museum, Panjab Univeristy, International Doll Museum, National Gallery of Portraits etc.
Another tourist attraction in Chandigarh is the Sukhna Lake spread over an area of 3 sq. km in sector 6. The waters of a seasonal rivulet that ran through the city were impounded to create the Sukhna Lake. Migratory birds arrive here from Siberia during the winter. A love for the lake draws many volunteers to desilt it just before the monsoon rains set in. While the lake promenade is a place for peace and tranquillity, the area just at the entrance has been developed for children to enjoy themselves.
The Rock Garden
Rock Garden of Chandigarh,Tourist attractions in Chandigarh, Places to see in Chandigarh, Places to visit in Chandigarh, Weekend trips from Chandigarh Excursions, Events in Chandigarh, Festivals in Chandigarh No description of Chandigarh city can be complete without a mention of its most celebrated creations-the Rock Garden. Spread over 12 acres of wooded land near the Capitol Complex the Rock Garden of Chandigarh is the creation of a humble road inspector called Nek Chand. The urban waste material turned into creative patterns and textures, mute rocks turned into art objects attract tourists to Chandigarh. A visit to the Rock Garden is a must for all the tourists travelling to Chandigarh.Open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm on all days an unpretentious entrance leads to the magnificent, almost surrealist arrangement of rock fossils, broken chinaware, discarded fluorescent tubes, broken and cast away glass bangles, building waste, coal and clay all juxtaposed to create a dream folk world of palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life, women and temples.
This unique garden made out of rubble ranging from industrial to urban waste was conceived and created by Nek Chand. It is a must visit site of Chandigarh.
The Rock Garden of Chandigarh has been created by putting together the fossils of ancient life forms found in the Shivalik hills and by recycled waste material. Its creator, Nek Chand, was an inspector in the engineering department. Rock fossils have been arranged into an open air sculpture exhibition. Some of the sculptures include a wall made out of discarded fluorescent tubes, an army of clay monkeys and broken chinaware soldiers and shapes of women made out of discarded glass bangles. The garden covers an area of 6 acres.
In summers, it is open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and again from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. From October to March it is open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. and 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Rose Garden
This largest Rose Garden in Asia was named after Dr. Zakir Hussain, the former president of India. The garden sprawls over an area of 27 acres and has more than 17,000 plants representing about 1,600 varieties of rose species. It also has beautiful fountains and a large number of trees known for medicinal value.Zakir Hussain Rose Garden
Zakir Gulab Baag is Asia's largest Rose garden, spread out over 30 acres of land, in sector 16. Established in 1967, today around 50,000 Rose trees of 1600 different species bloom here. Apart from roses, the other trees planted have medicinal value and some unique specimen trees were planted to enhance the beauty of the garden. The garden is located next to the city centre.Leisure Valley
Another place to tourist interest in Chandigarh is its leisure valley, which, like a garland of gardens, ornaments the Chandigarh city from one end to the other. The Rose Garden of Sector 16, which with an area of 25 hectares is one of the largest in Asia. The Rose Garden is a place worth visiting in Chandigarh for being home to thousand varieties of roses. Other prominent and worth visiting parks of the Chandigarh city are the Garden of Tranquillity, Garden of Rare Plants, Garden of Annuals, the Bougainvillea Garden, Botanical Garden, and the Garden of Aromatic Plants.Museums
Government Museum and Art Gallery
The Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10 of Chandigarh has a fine collection of stone sculptures of the Gandhara period. The museum is the place to see the prehistoric fossils and artifacts along with modern art and miniature paintings. The Government Museum and Art Gallery of Chandigarh is open from 10:00 am. to 4:30 pm. and is closed on Mondays.Located in sector 14, the parks and pools around the university building have enhanced the feel of the whole area. The Punjab University was founded in 1882 at Lahore. After partition and initial dislocation, the University shifted to Chandigarh in 1956. It is as famous for it's landscaping as for its architectural.
Museum of Evolution of Life
The Museum of Evolution of Life in Sector 10 of Chandigarh takes tourists on a trip 5,000 years back from the Indus Valley Civilization to the present day. Chandigarh city's Museum of Evolution of Life is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is closed on Mondays.International Dolls Museum
The International Dolls Museum in Sector 23 of Chandigarh has an interesting collection of dolls and puppets from all over the world covering the variant art of more than 25 countries. Chandigarh city's International Dolls museum is closed on Sundays.The beautiful city of Chandigarh is worth visiting in itself and also acts as a base for further excursions in North India. A visit to Chandigarh is not complete without a visit to the temple of Goddess Chandi, which is located in Panchkula, 10 km away from Chandigarh. In fact, the name Chandigarh is derived from this temple. Nearby is the temple of Mansa Devi. Both the temples are built in the North Indian style of architecture. Moreover, there is the Panchkula Cactus and Succulent Botanical Garden, which houses over 2,500 varieties of cacti and other succulent plants from all parts of the world.
Located on the banks of River Ghaggar, 15 km from Chandigarh city, the Chattbir Zoo is an ideal getaway. The zoo lies on the Chandigarh-Patiala Road. Besides these, Pinjore (now Yadavindra Gardens; 20 km), Morni Hills (45 km), Kasauli (77 km), Chail (107 km), and Shimla (110 km) are some of the interesting places to visit around Chandigarh.