Rock Garden

This is the premier attraction in Chandigarh since 1958. It was created by Nek Chand Saini. This was formed out of the urban waste materials found in the city. These urban wastes include tin cans, bottles, plates, broken plugs and saucers. These materials were formed into beautiful textures and patterns. There were many materials were formed out of these wastes. The place has series of chamber but the first phase is a small canyon. The place has broken ceramics of human and animal form.

One of the most unique and spectacular attractions in Chandigarh is the Rock Garden.  It is a classic example of innovation and recycling at its best.  Designed to look like a lost kingdom, this sprawling 40 acre garden is situated between the Capitol Complex and Sukhna Lake.

Set amidst waterfalls, plazas and various sculptures, the sight is something that the world has never seen before.

What makes this garden so impressive is the fact that everything in the garden is created from industrial and home waste and items that have been discarded.

Established in the form of an open-air exhibition hall, theatre trove and a miniature maze, the Rock garden is set in large mosaic courtyards connected by walled paths. Moreover, several important performances have taken place in this small but very artistic theatre. Enter into the most breathtaking arrangement of rocks, boulders, frames, broken chinaware, metal wires, broken bangles, play marbles and much more through a modest yet classy entrance. It is truly a treat to the eyes. The layout of the garden is built around the fantasy of a lost kingdom. The Rock garden displays sculptures made from everything from clay to auto parts which have aided in creating a world of palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life, women and temples. This garden, which is without a single flower, is also the venue of the annual Teej Festival. During this time the entire garden lights up and attains a festive look.

The Rock Garden itself has 14 different chambers housing natural rock-formations which include a musician’s chamber and the main court (Darbar) where the king’s throne is placed.

This beautiful garden also has a very interesting history behind it. It was initially started secretly by Nak Chund in 1957. He was a road inspector in the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Capital Project at the time and spent seven years (1958-1965) collecting natural material, urban and industrial waste. However, his work as discovered by the authorities in 1975 and in 1976, it was inaugurated as a public space. It even appeared on an Indian stamp in 1983.

The garden attracts more than 12 million visitors from around the world every year and is viewed as one of the modern wonders of the world.

Summer opening hours

(1st April to 30th September)

9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Winter opening hours

(1st October to 31st March)

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The rock garden is open all seven days of a week.

Entry prices:
Rs. 5 for adults
Rs. 3 for children.

Sanghol Museum, Chandigarh - 16

The main exhibits are the archaeological finds of Punjab’s ancient civilization. A Stupa from a Buddhist monastery dating back to 1st century is the most popular display.

Sanghol Archeological Museum is placed in Sanghol on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana Road. It is a monument of the archeological determinations from the ancient civilization of Punjab. A stupa of a Buddhist monastery, believed to be of 1st or 2nd century, is one of the important monuments in the museum. Also included in the collections are coins, seals and terracotta articles. The museum is closed on Mondays. Entry is fee. Photography is allowed upon obtaining permission from the director.

If you wish to visit this place just know the distance from Chandigarh (140 kms.) and New Delhi (390 Kms.) to Sanghol Museum. It is also known as Ucha Pind Sanghol. You can visit at interesting places like site excavation at village named ‘Ucha Pind Sanghol’ and archeological Museum at Sanghol (district Ludhiana).

The dry land floor gallery demonstrates the most important items of ancientnesses other than the stone sculptures. The pride of the Sanghol Museum, the stone sculptures, are displayed in the top gallery. The antiquities in the ground floor gallery have been arranged chronologically to highlight the development of socio-cultural and religious facts of the regional manifestations of the heritage of Punjab.

So, I am suggesting you to not miss the opportunity to visit at Sanghol Museum.

Related Links :

01. Museums and Art Gallaries of India : A Survey - 1
02. Museums of Jammu and Kashmir : Sri Pratap Singh Museum Srinagar - 2
03. Art Gallery Jammu :Dogra Art Gallery - 3
04. Himachal Pradesh : The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dharmshala - 4
05. Himachal Pradesh : Bhuri Singh Museum, Shimla - 5
06. Shimla State Museum - 6
07. The Nicholas Roerich Gallery, Shimla - 7
08. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Summerhil, Shimla - 8
09. Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, Naggar - 9
10. Punjab and Haryana : Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum, Amritsar - 10
11. Government Museum and Art Callery, Chandigarh - 11
12. The Chandigarh Architecture Museum - 12
13. The Natural History Museum, Chandigarh - 13
14. Anglo Sikh War Memorial Ferozeshah - 14
15. Art Gallery, Patiala - 15

The Natural History Museum, Chandigarh - 13

In 2001, in a landmark decision , the existing museum of Evolution of Life was upgraded to its present status as the Natural History Museum with five major sections:

* Cyclorama of Evolution of Life
* Nature in Art section
* Manuscript section
* Evolution of Man section
* Dinosaurs of India section

The Natural History Museum has received on loan from the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums, Punjab, six glass showcases having beautiful pheasants mounted by Rowland Ward, London. They are a pair of Lady Amherst's Pheasants, a pair of Blood Pheasants, a pair of Kirghiz Pheasants, a pair of English White Pheasants, a pair of Satyr Tragopan and a pair of Melanistic Mutant Pheasants. These are also on display in the section.

The section also includes the taxidermy specimens (black panther and lion) given on loan by the Chhatbir Zoo, Punjab.

On display are also some beautiful paintings by Anandi Devi. Her works of water colour on paper reflect a botanical study of flowering plants. Paintings of Plumaria acutifolia, Thunbergia laurifolia, Passiflora, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis etc. show a close observation of the subject matter by a naturalist.

Related Links :

01. Museums and Art Gallaries of India : A Survey - 1
02. Museums of Jammu and Kashmir : Sri Pratap Singh Museum Srinagar - 2
03. Art Gallery Jammu :Dogra Art Gallery - 3
04. Himachal Pradesh : The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dharmshala - 4
05. Himachal Pradesh : Bhuri Singh Museum, Shimla - 5
06. Shimla State Museum - 6
07. The Nicholas Roerich Gallery, Shimla - 7
08. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Summerhil, Shimla - 8
09. Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, Naggar - 9
10. Punjab and Haryana : Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum, Amritsar - 10
11. Government Museum and Art Callery, Chandigarh - 11
12. The Chandigarh Architecture Museum - 12

Government Museum and Art Callery, Chandigarh - 11

Guys, Gandhara sculptures, paintings from Mughal, Basohli and Kangra schools are the main attraction display of Government Museum and Art Gallery of Chandigarh.

The Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh, reposes on its existence to the partition of the country in August,1947. It is one of the premier institution of India with a very rich collection of Gandharan sculptures, Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings. Before the partition in 1947, the collection of art objects, paintings, sculptures and decorative arts, were housed in the Central Museum, Lahore the then capital of Punjab.

On April 10, 1948, the division of collection took place by which sixty percent of objects were retained by Pakistan and the remaining forty percent collection consisting mainly of Gandharan sculptures and Indian miniature paintings ( Mughal and Pahari schools) fell in the share of India. Received in the month of April,1949, this collection was first housed in Amritsar then Shimla, Patiala and finally shifted to Chandigarh.

The various multi-dimensional Museums in India, the Government Museum and Art Gallery at Chandigarh occupies a very distinctive position for not only its unique collection of the objects, but also for other reasons as well. Situated in the heart of the city planned by Le Corbusier, and very close to the city center in beautiful view of the Shivalik range of mountains, the Museum has a very sprawling and spread out campus at one side of which is located the Government College of Art. The Museum building is an attraction in view of the fact that Le Corbusier himself designed it. The Museum was inaugurated on the 6th May, 1968 under the initiative and active support of Late Dr. M.S. Randhawa, renowned connoisseur and patron of art, and the then Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh. Later a few other buildings were added in view of the growing need of the Museum's expansion. The campus in which the Museum is situated is surrounded with selective trees adding grandeur to the campus. The vast expanse of the courtyard of the Museum is dotted with some contemporary sculptures suitable for environmental display.

The Museum has four wings of which the largest and the most imposing is beyond any doubt the building of the Art Gallery. Another wing constitutes the Natural History Museum, Chandigarh Architecture Museum and National Gallery of Portraits. The Chandigarh Architecture Museum documents the different stages of development from the inception to the present stage of the city of Chandigarh.

Related Links :

01. Museums and Art Gallaries of India : A Survey - 1
02. Museums of Jammu and Kashmir : Sri Pratap Singh Museum Srinagar - 2
03. Art Gallery Jammu :Dogra Art Gallery - 3
04. Himachal Pradesh : The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dharmshala - 4
05. Himachal Pradesh : Bhuri Singh Museum, Shimla - 5
06. Shimla State Museum - 6
07. The Nicholas Roerich Gallery, Shimla - 7
08. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Summerhil, Shimla - 8
09. Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, Naggar - 9
10. Punjab and Haryana : Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum, Amritsar - 10