Chandigarh

Among the seven Union Territories of India, Chandigarh serves as the joint capital city of Punjab and Haryana. It is governed by the Union Government directly. It is one of the early planned cities of independent India and is well known for its architecture. BBC published an article in 2015 naming Chandigarh as one of the perfect cities of the world with respect to architecture, modernization and cultural growth.

The city is one of the cleanest cities of India as reported by the survey done by the Indian Government. The place has always been an attraction for tourists all around the world.

The major places of interest are:

Rock Garden

The garden is situated in the middle of the Sukhna Lake in Sector 1. Nek Chand Rock Garden, as it is popularly known as after its founder. It has various sculptures built out of waste materials like porcelain, auto parts, handle bars, mudguards, etc.

Sukhna Lake

Sukhna Lake is an artificial rain-fed lake located at the foothills of Shivalik Hills and spread across 3 km. The lake hosts various festivals spread throughout the year. With the Mango Festival being the most popular one which is celebrated during the monsoon season.

Parrot Bird Sanctuary

The bird sanctuary is notified under Section 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is located in Sector 21 of the city. It is the second wildlife sanctuary of the city and is the habitat to thousands of parrots.

Rose Garden

Rose Garden is named after the former President of India, Zakir Hussain. Place is spread across 30-40 acres making it the greatest of its kind in Asia. The garden situated in the Sector 16 of Chandigarh contains about 825 varieties of roses. There are more than 32,500 other medicinal plants and trees.

Leisure Valley

The 8 km long linear park starts from Sector 1 in the northern part of the city. It continues to the southernmost edge. It includes Rajendra Park, Physical Fitness Trails, Bougainvillea Garden and many other botanical gardens, theme parks and green belts.