Union Territory of Chandigarh Hotels India

The city of Chandigarh is the capital of two states in India, Punjab and Haryana. The term “union territory” refers to the fact that it is ruled by the federal government rather than by local state government. Chandigarh is in the far north of India, and is India’s first planned city, built to replace Lahore as Punjab’s capital, as Lahore became part of Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. The city became the capital of both Punjab and Haryana after the new state of Haryana was created in 1966, as Chandigarh was on the border of the two states. Chandigarh is near the foot of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas and has a humid subtropical climate with very hot summers and generally mild winters, and a monsoon season between mid-June and mid-September.

Because the city was planned, it benefits from interesting buildings, plenty of gardens and a well-thought-out road system. The city plan was designed by Le Corbusier who also designed some of the major buildings including the Museum and Art Gallery, the High Court, Assembly and Secretariat. It is possible to visit these buildings but permission is needed first from the city’s department of tourism.

There are several gardens in Chandigarh that are well worth a visit. The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is the largest in Asia and also hosts an annual Festival of Gardens in March. The Rock Garden is made from recycled and reclaimed objects and is famous for having been started secretively by a government official called Nek Chand in 1957.

After twenty years of expanding the garden and creating sculptures, the garden was discovered and allowed to continue, despite being an illegal development. Today the garden consists of 40 acres of courtyards, waterfalls and sculptures and is open to the public daily. Other gardens include the Hibiscus Garden, the Terraced Garden and the Botanical Garden and two other gardens not far from Chandigarh are the Cactus Garden at Panchkula and the Pinjore Gardens.

Sukhna Lake is a man-made lake in the city, and is a popular place for boating or walking in the park. There are also refreshments, shops and amusements. The city in general is very green and boasts several other parks, including Rajendra Park, Topiary Park and Bougainvillea Park, as well as forests on the outskirts.

There is a wide range of accommodation in Chandigarh, ranging from the budget YMCA and Hotel Parkview, up to the more expensive Hotel Shivalik View, Hotel Mount View and Taj Chandigarh.