Chandigarh

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See also: Chandigarh district
Chandigarh
ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ
City and Union Territory
Open Hand Monument
Open Hand Monument
CountryIndia
Union Territory/CityChandigarh
Seat of GovernmentChandigarh
Government
 • Administrator of UTShivraj V. Patil
 • MayorSubhash Chawla
 • CommissionerVivek Pratap Singh
Area
 • City and Union Territory114 km2 (44 sq mi)
 • Rank33
Elevation
350 m (1,150 ft)
Population
 • City and Union Territory960,787
 • Rank29th
 • Density8,400/km2 (22,000/sq mi)
 • Metro
[1]
1,025,682
 [2]
Languages
 • Principal[3]Punjabi, Hindi, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
160xxx
Telephone code91-172-XXX XXXX
ISO 3166 codeIN-CH
Vehicle registrationCH-01 to CH-04,PB-65,HR-70
HDIIncrease
0.892
HDI Categoryvery high
Literacy81.9
Websitechandigarh.nic.in
The city of Chandigarh comprises all of the union territory's area

Chandigarh is a city in Northern India that serves as the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana.

The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post independence in 1947 and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design.[4] 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.[5] The city was reported in 2010 to be the cleanest in India, based on a national government study,[6] and the territory also headed the list of Indian states and territories according to research conducted using 2005 data by Human Development Index.[7]

History

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.[8] The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is derived from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, near the city.[9]

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 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

Sukhna Lake

Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the sivalik 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°44′N 76°47′E / 30.74°N 76.79°E / 30.74; 76.79.[13] It has an average elevation of 321 metres (1053 ft).

Chandigarh
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
33
 
 
20
6
 
 
39
 
 
23
8
 
 
30
 
 
28
13
 
 
9
 
 
35
19
 
 
28
 
 
38
23
 
 
145
 
 
39
25
 
 
280
 
 
34
24
 
 
308
 
 
33
23
 
 
133
 
 
33
22
 
 
22
 
 
32
17
 
 
9
 
 
27
11
 
 
22
 
 
22
7
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: World Weather Information Service
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
1.3
 
 
69
43
 
 
1.5
 
 
74
47
 
 
1.2
 
 
83
56
 
 
0.4
 
 
94
66
 
 
1.1
 
 
101
74
 
 
5.7
 
 
101
78
 
 
11
 
 
93
75
 
 
12
 
 
91
74
 
 
5.2
 
 
92
71
 
 
0.9
 
 
89
63
 
 
0.4
 
 
81
51
 
 
0.9
 
 
72
44
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

The surrounding districts are Mohali, Patiala and Roopnagar in Punjab, Panchkula and Ambala 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

  • 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.
Climate data for Chandigarh
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 20.4
(68.7) 		23.1
(73.6) 		28.5
(83.3) 		34.5
(94.1) 		38.3
(100.9) 		38.6
(101.5) 		34.0
(93.2) 		32.8
(91.0) 		33.1
(91.6) 		31.8
(89.2) 		27.3
(81.1) 		22.1
(71.8) 		30.4
(86.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0) 		8.3
(46.9) 		13.4
(56.1) 		18.9
(66.0) 		23.2
(73.8) 		25.4
(77.7) 		24.0
(75.2) 		23.3
(73.9) 		21.8
(71.2) 		17.0
(62.6) 		10.5
(50.9) 		6.7
(44.1) 		16.6
(61.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 46.6
(1.83) 		33.9
(1.33) 		29.3
(1.15) 		11.3
(0.44) 		24.2
(0.95) 		112.6
(4.43) 		276.3
(10.88) 		282.8
(11.13) 		179.0
(7.05) 		41.6
(1.64) 		6.7
(0.26) 		18.9
(0.74) 		1,063.2
(41.83)
Average rainy days 3.8 3.9 2.6 2.4 2.5 7.1 12.9 13.3 6.1 1.9 1.3 1.9 59.7
Source: World Meteorological Organisation[14]

Environment

File:Santi-Kunj.jpg
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.There was recent snowfall in the last December 2012[citation needed].

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.

Demographics

Template:IndiaCensusPop 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

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.[15] 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".[16]

Education

See also: List of educational institutions in Chandigarh
Gandhi Bhavan built by Pierre Jeanneret for 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.[17]

Transport

Chandigarh Airport old terminal
Chandigarh Airport from inside

Chandigarh has the largest number of vehicles per capita in India.[18] 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.[19] 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 and provide connectivity to major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bhopal, Indore, Trivandrum and Amritsar. It also links other cities like Ambala, Kollam, Panipat and Kalka.

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[20]

Entertainment

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.[21] 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

Notable people born in Chandigarh

A waterfall in Rock Garden, Chandigarh

Gallery

  • Punjab and Haryana High Court
    Punjab and Haryana High Court
  • Rock Garden
    Rock Garden
  • Secretariat Building
    Secretariat Building
  • Rose Garden
    Rose Garden

See also

References

  1. ^ "Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Chandigarh - States and Union Territories". India.gov.in. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  4. ^ Business Portal of India
  5. ^ "Front Page News : Monday, July 26, 2010". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  6. ^ "India's cleanest: Where does your city stand?: Rediff.com News". News.rediff.com. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  7. ^ Meghalaya Human Development Report 2008 (p. 23)
  8. ^ Chandigarh History – History Of Chandigarh India – Origin & History of Chandigarh
  9. ^ The Official Government Website
  10. ^ Frommer's India (2010) Pippa de Bruyn, John Wiley & Sons, p613 ISBN 9780470556108
  11. ^ "Capitol Complex, as Le Corbusier wanted it, remains incomplete". Indian Express. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  12. ^ "1st November 1966 - Haryana Day - History - Haryana Online - North India". Haryana Online. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  13. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Chandigarh
  14. ^ World Weather Information Service-Chandigarh, World Meteorological Organisation. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  15. ^ Chandigarh's the richest of 'em all
  16. ^ The Hindu Business Line
  17. ^ "City Beautiful". The Indian Backpacker. December 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  18. ^ Top Ten Towns with Highest Nos. of Car Ownership in India
  19. ^ Chandigarh Transport Undertaking ISBT
  20. ^ "Chandigarh Metro rail project in India may begin in 2013". Railway Technology. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Elante Mall Review - Chandigarh". textilefabricgarment.com. Retrieved 25 August 2013.

Further reading

  • Evenson, Norma. Chandigarh. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1966.
  • Joshi, Kiran. Documenting Chandigarh: The Indian Architecture of Pierre Jeanneret, Edwin Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing in association with Chandigarh College of Architecture, 1999. ISBN 1-890206-13-X
  • Kalia, Ravi. Chandigarh: The Making of an Indian City. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1999.
  • Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew. Chandigarh and Planning Development in India, London: Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, No.4948, 1 April 1955, Vol. CIII, pages 315–333. I. The Plan, by E. Maxwell Fry, II. Housing, by Jane B. Drew.
  • Nangia, Ashish. Re-locating Modernism: Chandigarh, Le Corbusier and the Global Postcolonial. PhD Dissertation, University of Washington, 2008.
  • Perera, Nihal. "Contesting Visions: Hybridity, Liminality and Authorship of the Chandigarh Plan" Planning Perspectives 19 (2004): 175–199
  • Prakash, Vikramaditya. Chandigarh’s Le Corbusier: The Struggle for Modernity in Postcolonial India. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2002.
  • Sarin, Madhu. Urban Planning in the Third World: The Chandigarh Experience. London: Mansell Publishing, 1982.

External links

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