Chandigarh

The name Chandigarh means "fort of Chandi" and is a compound of Chandi, which refers to the Hindu goddess Chandi, a manifestation of Shakti, and Garh, meaning stronghold or fortress. The name is taken from a village where a temple dedicated to goddess Chandi stood. The temple exists today at Chandi Mandir, on the outskirts of the city, in the neighbouring district of Panchkula in Haryana. The motif or sobriquet of "The City of Beauty" was derived from the City Beautiful movement, which was a popular philosophy in North American urban planning during the 1890s and 1900s. Architect Albert Mayer, the initial planner of Chandigarh, lamented the American rejection of City Beautiful concepts and declared, "We want to create a beautiful city". The phrase was used as a logo in official publications in the 1970s and is now how the city describes itself.

The establishment of the city of Chandigarh was the result of the crises and chaos in northwestern India in the aftermath of its independence from British colonial rule. During the partition of India in 1947, the province of Punjab was divided into two: the majority Hindu and Sikh eastern portion that remained in India and the majority Muslim western portion that became part of Pakistan. Lahore, the provincial capital of undivided Punjab, though fiercely contested during partition, was eventually ceded to Pakistan. The provincial government of independent India’s East Punjab state was left without an administrative center or capital. The loss of Lahore, the need for the rehabilitation of refugees from West Pakistan and a mounting exodus of business communities from the state created a sense of urgency. …

Chandigarh is located by the foothills of the Shivalik Range of the Himalayas in northwest India. It covers an area of approximately 114 km2. It borders the states of Punjab and Haryana. The exact geographic coordinates of Chandigarh are 30.74°N 76.79°E / 30.74; 76.79. It has an average elevation of 321 metres (1053 ft). The city, lying in the northern plains, includes a vast area of flat, fertile land. Its northeast covers sections of Bhabar, while the remainder of its terrain is part of the Terai. Its surrounding cities are Mohali, New Chandigarh, Patiala, Zirakpur and Rupnagar in Punjab, Panchkula and Ambala in Haryana and Shimla and Solan in Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh is situated 44 km (28 miles) north of Ambala, 229 km (143 miles) southeast of Amritsar, and 250 km (156 miles) north of Delhi. …

Every year, in September or October during the festival of Navratri, many associations and organisations hold a Ramlila event, which has been conducted here for over 50 years. The Rose Festival in Zakir Hussain Rose Garden every February shows thousands of subspecies of roses. Chandigarh Carnival is an annual mega tourism event of Chandigarh Administration which is held in the last week of November every year.As a part of event, the department organises various fun and flora activities including setting up of amusement park, stalls, day cultural programmes etc. The Mango Festival is held during the monsoons, and other festivals are held at Sukhna Lake. Punjabi historic festivals like Lohri, Basant, Vaisakhi are also celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm across the city.

Chandigarh has been rated as one of the "Wealthiest Towns" of India. The Reserve Bank of India ranked Chandigarh as the third-largest deposit centre and seventh-largest credit centre nationwide as of June 2012. With an average household monthly income of ₹199,000 (US$2,100), Chandigarh is one of the richest towns in India. Chandigarh's gross state domestic product for 2014–15 is estimated at ₹290 billion (equivalent to ₹440 billion or US$4.6 billion in 2023) at current prices. According to a 2014 survey, Chandigarh is ranked 4th in the top 50 cities identified globally as "emerging outsourcing and IT services destinations". The Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park, also known as the Chandigarh IT Park, is a special economic zone which has facilities for information technology. …

The main tourist attractions in Chandigarh are: Rock Garden of Chandigarh Chandigarh Bird Park Garden of Springs, Chandigarh Zakir Hussain Rose Garden Japanese Garden, Chandigarh Parrot Bird Sanctuary, Chandigarh Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park Sukhna Lake Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary Rose Festival (Chandigarh) Heritage Trees of Chandigarh Sukhna Interpretation Centre Terraced Garden Leisure Valley, Chandigarh Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh Gandhi Bhawan, Chandigarh Open Hand Monument Indian Air Force Heritage Museum Open Hand Monument Palace of Assembly, Chandigarh Chandigarh Capitol Complex Secretariat Building, Chandigarh Sector-17, Chandigarh Burail Fort Manimajra Fort Chandi Mandir Elante Mall Paras Downtown Square Tagore Theatre