a modernist experiment 60 years on...

Chandigarh, capital of the Punjab and the brain child of urban planners, architects and politicians. Hardly surprising then that I found despite having a public toilet ever 400m people still pissed on the street. Almost in protest to the uniformity of this modern city. 

I feel a little history lesson is in order to explain the significance. Once upon a time there was a man name Gandhi. He believed in non-violence and wore no shoes. I came to realise whilst visiting India his loincloth folding was unique but the shoeless act not so much. Anyhow. He along with the many millions of Indians living in Hindustan wanted the British to leave them be and to create an Independent nation. In doing this the British would only agree if they could create one last marker of their legacy other than the railways (here here old chap, I say, you have left them something truly remarkable, chin chin), this would be to "help" the Hindu majority deal with the "lawless Muslims" and divide the country and create a fully Muslim state. This they would call PaKistan after the provinces of Punjab and Kashmere. Its no wonder with the Kashmir being home to the finest rugs and pashmina's in the world, is fiercely sort after to this day. The Kashmir is the Western start of the mighty Himalayas and the Western slopes are part of Pakistan and the Eastern slopes, lakes, and golden bounty on the Indian side. Mr Mountbatten when he drew that straight line wasn't thinking about the effect of taking all the richness from Pakistan I am sure. 

So then in 1947 all the nice Hindus and Sikhs living in the Punjab on the west of Mr Mountbattens line took their lives on horse and cart to the  "Indian side of the line" and all of the Muslims living on the East - all the way to Delhi and beyond - took their lives on horse and cart and moved to the West to create the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Despite living peacefully for hundreds of generations their lives were ripped apart as a polite parting gesture from the British Raj. Unsurprisingly there was alot of VERY angry people with 25 million people uprooted from their homes. Yes that's right you read 25 MILLION. Half a million people were killed in the process of partition - crossing long distances to refugee camps and unrest led to fighting. As such Partition created the first political-religious division since, well.... a few years before in Germany and Poland. But no one likes to draw comparisons.

So the Punjab on the East of the line safely in the Hindustan side was now named "India" they had their first Prime Minister and a new national anthem no longer bowing to the Queen of England....but they had lost their capital city. Lahore now sat on the Pakistan side of the border and this created a real problem for politicians and business men. Amritsar was a Sikh city with that beautiful Golden Temple but this is a Hindu nation that must have something new and modern to demonstrate the new vision to the world. And so Chandigarh city designed for 3.5million was created. (if at this juncture you wonder why they designed it for a mere 400,000 despite 25 MILLION people being displaced don't look at me for answers I am as baffled by this notion as you!). 

Ok so that was a long story....but here we are in Chandigarh. I studied this city in my Design Studies degree at the University of Otago so I really wanted to see what it was all about...and at no point did I get that history lesson from my lecturers!

So a French dude named Le Corbuser famous to you for some chairs you see in fancy lobbies made of moulded metal and black leather came to India on the invitation of the Prime Minister (after the original Architect keeled over) and was asked to put his spin on the new city. Now in history, few architects have been commissioned to create a whole city. So this is an interesting collaboration of many parties - few of whom had a handle on Indian life as they had been bought in from 'Modern Europe'. 

So modernism it was and is today.

Riding in a Tuk Tuk in Chandigarh
Not so scary on the open roads

Chandigarh is grid like city with wide tree lined boulevards and narrow suburban streets. There are green belts and pedestrian crossing and beats Christchurch hands down for the number of Round-abouts. The buildings are uniform and give little option for growth. The city is designed into Sectors I stayed in Sector 22B which means I was on the main road of Sector 22 furtherest from Sector 21....looking at a map is the only way to actually comprehend this. Behind the block I stayed in was surburban three story homes, much like the semi detached homes in the UK.

The car park on the sides of the 

tree lined roads were the size of 4 lanes...

The building of the city is based on two former rivers joining to form a rich river bed and flat land, ideal for a city to be plonked on it. Shopping is centralised, government buildings too. There are an East and West bus station and navigation is straight forward for both locals and visitors alike. Commericial units are on main roads and surburban homes sit behind these. Ample space is provided for cars (obviously seen as the future of those narrow street inflicted European architects). Horse and Cart aren't allowed within the inner city or Elephants, Camels, Donkeys or farm machinery for that matter. They built it in stages and the density of the city was never to be fully understood till the masses moved in...now accounting for 10million residents.

The striking thing about the city despite the continued pissing in the streets, was its order. Unlike all the other cities I had been to throughout Asia (not just India) there was a clear modernist structure to the layout and design of the city and its function as a Financial and Economic hub for the region. The impressive Government buildings (Capitol Complex) only part of Le Corbusers grand design emphasis the point as grandeous and equally outgrown. Balconies are now used as offices and grand entrances are now lined with chaotic car parking. With all the government vehicles at the Mayors Office I actually thought it was an posed advert for Tata white vehicles! 

Capitol Complex

One of the most touristy and delightful places I went to in ALL India was the Chandigarh Rock Garden. The brain child of Nek Chand, a former West Punjabi Hindu who came across during Partition to the Chandigarh. In his journey from West to East he saw examples of much waste and distruction of household goods and curios. He started making sculptures from these items - toilet porcelin, spoons, Pottery and electrical joints. Over the subsequent 60 years Nek's creations became an obsession and his collection secretly kept in a public place in Chandigarh was formally made into a Garden for visitors. Today Nek exhibits his work in London, New York and Paris.

Rock Garden buddies

I took the time to meet Mr Chand in his cave like office and was captivated with his creativity and passion for the recyclable art. His family and friends are fierce supporters of his work and he proudly showed me invitations from some of the worlds best galleries and musuems along with photos from his international visits. He was a gentle man (intentional spelling) with a generous heart and gifted me a book of his story so I can share it with visitors to my own home.

Chandigarh is a city of modernity in a country continuing to emerge through its rich tapestry of religion and social politics that are tested massively by its growing population and the ever changing technologies of the 21st century. How Chandigarh continues to adapt and build on its rich history as a border state will be testament of the development of India as a whole. Punjab is afterall the richest State in India.

I certainly enjoyed seeing and experiencing Chandigarh.