Chandigarh Travel Guide

Chandigarh, the capital city shared between the two north Indian states of Punjab and Haryana is built to the blueprint of a prosperous, modern India and famed for it's neatly laid out residential blocks, grid-planned roads and numerous gardens. Originally designed for a population of just half a million, the city is located between two seasonal streams, the Patiala ki Rao and the Sukhna Choe. The Shivalik range forms a spectacular backdrop to the city.

Over the past 45 years, the city of Chandigarh has grown substantially, with land prices shooting up fast. Though frequented mostly by visitors en route to the hill state of Himachal Pradesh or other towns in Punjab, Chandigarh itself has some interesting sites worth visiting. This metro city also has many critics, who dub it a concrete jungle with huge building blocks unsuited to Indian weather conditions. However, it certainly is a landmark in modern town planning, with sprawling boulevards, neatly planned blocks of houses, green stretches and parklands.

While in Chandigarh, one must visit the main shopping area in sectors 17 and 22 as they are famous for handicrafts emporiums of different states where you can buy embroidered silk garments, wood crafts and the traditional leather jutties (embroidered slip-ons). You can also find good leather products shops and some good book stores here.