This unique sculpture garden, the work of the city's internationally acclaimed artist Nek Chand, spreads over 64 acres. The visitor is led through a maze of paths, chambers and canyons, each presenting a glimpse of a fantasy world. The Rock Garden has charmed millions of visitors since it was first opened to the public in 1976 not only by the visual delights if offers, but its strange history. Nek Chand was a road inspector of the city Public Works Department when he began to transform a dump of discarded building materials. He kept the garden a closely guarded secret.....Never suspecting that one day critics would praise his unique works and he would exhibit them in Paris's Museum of Modern Art and in other cities around the world.

The first phase of the rock Garden is a small canyon... part natural, albeit peculiar, rock forms, and part amalgam of broken ceramic fixtures, pebbles and coal slag. It's the sort of place that might be inhabited by trolls. The canyon opens into a series of "chambers" each one filled with scores of human and animal forms in concrete and broken ceramic or glass. Each one is different. The second phase recreates a mountain village on the banks of a stream, its inhabitants --some humble, --some aristocratic --sensed rather than seen

A man made lake spread over 3 square kilometers on the northern border of the city. At the entrance to the park one reads Corbusier's Edict of the Lake." The founders of Chandigarh have offered this lake and dam to the citizens of the new city so that they may escape the humdrum of the city life and enjoy the beauty of nature in peace and silence". The tree-shaded promenade around the lake is a favourite spot to stroll and enjoy the tranquil ambience. Paddle-boats and yachting are another pleasant diversion....or one may simply relax at the cafe run by the Chandigarh Tourism Development Corporation.

 

The lake and its heavily wooded shores constitute a nationally protected wetland. This is a favourite spot for bird watchers. From December through February, aside from scores of local species, one can see many species of aquatic birds from Central Asia and Siberia that find the lake a pleasant place to pass the winter. The lake also has a full length water course, developed in 1989 when the city hosted the 1989 Asia Rowing Championship.

Named after India's President, Zakir Hussain, the garden was established in 1967 under the guidance of Chandigarh first Chief Commissioner Dr M.S. Randhawa. The largest Rose Garden in Asia, it is spread over an area of 27 acres and has more than 17,000 plants representing some 1,600 varieties of roses as well as several fountains. This garden is the venue of the annual Rose festival, an event listed on the national calendar of fairs and festivals. This is one of the main cultural events of the city and draws thousands of visitors.