FACT SHEET: An Expats Guide to Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a Union Territory in North India which serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. With world-renowned architecture, Chandigarh claims to be among the best-planned cities of India. The city, named after an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, is a visible attempt at balancing modernity with environmental preservation. Designed by the well-known Swiss-French modernist architect Le Corbusier, Chandigarh sits comfortably as a cosmopolitan hub on the confluence of two important states.

Popular Fairs & Festivals:

• Festival of Gardens

• The Mango Festival

• The Chrysanthemums Show

• The Chandigarh Carnival

• The Plaza Carnival

• Baisakhi

• Lohri

• Teej Festival

Popular Restaurants:

• Saffron

• Oregano

• 24/7 Restaurant at The Lalit Chandigarh

• Pal Dhaba

• Whistling Duck

Top Hotels

JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ixcjw-jw-marriott-hotel-chandigarh

Address: Plot no: 6, Sector 35-B, Dakshin Marg, Chandigarh, 1600 35 India Telephone: +91-172-395 5555 Fax: +91-172-395 5588

The Lalit Chandigarh

www.thelalit.com/the-lalit-chandigarh

Address: Rajiv Gandhi IT Park, Near DLF Commercial Complex, Chandigarh, 160101 India Telephone: +91 172 300 7777 / +91 172 444 7777 Fax: +91 172 300 7878 Email: chandigarh@thelalit.com

Hyatt Regency Chandigarh

www.chandigarh.regency.hyatt.com

Address: 178 Industrial and Business Park Phase 1, Chandigarh, India, 160002 Telephone: +91 172 4401234 Fax: +91 172 4401235 Email: chandigarh.regency@hyatt.com

Taj Chandigarh

www.vivanta.tajhotels.com/en-in/chandigarh-punjab

Address: Block No. 9, Sector-17 A, Chandigarh, India 160017 Telephone: +91 172 6613000 Fax: 91 172 6613000 Email: taj.chandigarh@tajhotels.com

Hotel Mountview

www.mountviewchandigarh.com

Address: Sector-10, Chandigarh Telephone: +91-904 115 5566 Email: mountview@citcochandigarh.com

Popular Local Dishes:

• Chole Bhature

• Dal Handi/Dal Makhani

• Sarson ka Saag

• Makki di Roti

• Sheer Korma

• Shahi Paneer

• Butter Chicken

• Tandoori Chicken

• Chicken Tikkas

• Amritsari Fish

• Fish Tikka

• Punjabi Lachha Parathas

Top Attractions - In and Around Chandigarh:

The Rock Garden

Chandigarh rock garden prides itself as an epitome of creativity and innovation. It is a unique garden that consists of various art objects, made by using industrial and urban waste materials. Created secretly by a local transport worker Nek Chand from 1957 onwards at a dump site, the park has now become part of an important recycling project and one of the city′s major crowd-pullers.

Rose Garden

Spread over 30 acres, the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is the largest botanical garden in Asia that is dedicated to roses. The garden is named after the former President of India and apart from roses, it also features several varities of medicinal herbs. It contains more than 17,000 plants, with 50,000 rose-bushes and nearly 1,600 varieties of roses.

The Government Museum and Art Gallery

Located in a building designed by Le Corbusier, the museum is divided into four wings dedicated to natural history, art, architecture and portraits. Its star attractions include its collection of over 4,000 Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings, and over 600 Buddhist sculptures from the Gandhara region in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Sukhna Lake

Sukhna Lake is a beautiful man-made lake that lies in the foothills of the Shivalik range. The 3km-long lake was created in the year 1958 by damming the Sukhna Choe, which is a seasonal stream flowing down from the Shivalik hills. It is a popular picnic spot and attracts water sport enthusiasts for activities such as boating, yachting and water skiing.

Capitol Complex (Le Corbusier Centre)

The Chandigarh Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a government compound designed by the architect Le Corbusier. It is spread over an area of around 100 acres and comprises of three buildings, three monuments and a lake, including the Palace of Assembly or Legislative Assembly, Secretariat, High Court, Open Hand Monument, Geometric Hill and Tower of Shadows.

Accessibility

By Air:

• Chandigarh Airport links the city with the rest of the country by an extensive network of domestic flights. Regular flights from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Srinagar and Ahmedabad are available.

• Airlines operating from Chandigarh Airport include Air India, Jet Konnect (managed by Jet Airways), Jet Airways, Air Asia, Go Air, Indigo and Spicejet.

By Road:

• Chandigarh has excellent road connectivity with other neighbouring cities.

• Many direct buses are available from cities like Mussoorie, Shimla, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, Delhi and Kullu.

By Rail:

• The twice daily Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and Himalayan Queen connects New Delhi and Chandigarh.

• Paschim Express connects the city to Mumbai, Sadbhavna to Lucknow, Kerala Sampark Kranti to Kerala and Chennai Express to Chennai.

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