Wandering through Le Corbusier’s mind in Chandigarh

Oh Chandigarh, I don’t have the proper words to describe this town… it’s truly nothing like you’ve ever seen before. Le Corbusier was given a clean slate when he was asked to design the new capital of Punjab. It was the first planned city in India in 1947 and it shows: the city is split up in large sectors, divided by wide lanes lined with trees. There are even bicycle lanes (yes, that’s a big thing in India). We used them while we explored the city by bike (which was still a challenge due to its size). I wish we could have stayed longer.

Chandigarh trip summary

• Transport: We came by train from New Delhi. We then took a tuk tuk to the tourism office at the lake where we rented a bike. If you want to bike around Chandigarh try to stay for two days as I found one afternoon too short to cover all the grounds.
• Things to see: The whole town is a sight but the most important one is the High Court. You need an approval from the tourism office first (bring your passport!) to get in. If they aren’t able to give it to you you can also try your luck at the entry of the building itself, it worked for us. We also visited the architecture museum which showcases original plans and models of the city, together with pictures.
• Food: We had a good lunch at Ab’s.