India · City Guide
New Chandigarh
New Chandigarh is a planned satellite extension of Chandigarh, India's first planned post-independence city designed by Le Corbusier, providing modern infrastructure and access to the original city's extraordinary modernist architecture including the Capitol Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rock Garden of Nek Chand and the beautiful Sukhna Lake. As a gateway to Punjab and the Himachal Pradesh foothills, New Chandigarh combines contemporary planning with access to one of India's most architecturally significant cities.
Elect's take
"Chandigarh is unlike any other Indian city — the scale, the planning and Le Corbusier's vision are genuinely extraordinary, and the Rock Garden is one of the most joyfully eccentric places I have visited anywhere in India."
The Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Le Corbusier, comprises the Secretariat, Assembly and High Court buildings in a monumental modernist composition unlike anything else in India and one of the most significant examples of 20th century architecture in the world. The Rock Garden of Nek Chand is an extraordinary 40-acre sculpture garden created entirely from industrial and urban waste by a self-taught artist over decades, now one of India's most visited and joyfully strange attractions. Sukhna Lake provides a beautiful recreational lakeside with views toward the Shivalik foothills. Chandigarh's planned sector grid system, with each sector designed as a self-contained neighbourhood, represents a unique urban planning experiment. The Himachal Pradesh foothills begin within an hour.
Best time to visit
How to get there
What to expect
Capitol Complex
A UNESCO World Heritage Le Corbusier masterpiece of monumental modernist architecture.
Rock Garden
An extraordinary 40-acre sculpture garden created from industrial waste by Nek Chand.
Sukhna Lake
A beautiful recreational lake with views toward the Shivalik foothills.
Planned City Design
India's first post-independence planned city with a unique sector grid system.
Himachal Foothills Access
The Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh accessible within an hour.
Punjab Gateway
Excellent access to Punjab's culture, cuisine and historic sites.
