The first modern city of independent India

Chandigarh, the capital of both Haryana and Punjab, is famous for its design and layout. The city was planned by the French architect Le Corbusier in the early 1950s, and today remains one of India's most pleasant, well-planned state capitals, with the hills of Himachal Pradesh beginning just on the outskirts.

Chandigarh is also famous for its tree-lined avenues, giving it a unique atmosphere and charm especially during spring.

In complete contrast to the historical cities surrounding it, Chandigarh is a product of modern creation. Designed in the 1950s by the European architect Le Corbusier and built to serve as the new capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, this is a city unlike any other.

Designed on a grid and divided into 57 different blocks or sectors it is spacious, well organised, clean, prosperous, and renowned for its gardens, particularly the still unfinished Rock Garden. Trees and plants are as much a part of the construction plans as the buildings and the roads, making Chandigarh a pleasure to visit.