Chandigarh, city and union territory of India. Located about 165 miles (265 km) north of New Delhi, the territory is bounded by the state of Haryana on the east and by the state of Punjab on all other sides. It is situated on the Indo-Gangetic Plain a short distance southwest of the Siwalik Range (Shiwalik Range), between two seasonal hill torrents, the Sukhna and Patiali rivers. The land is a flat and fertile tract of alluvial soils, and its rural farmland produces such crops as wheat, corn (maize), and rice. In the summer months (April to June) temperatures may rise above 120 °F (about 50 °C), while in the winter months (November to February) temperatures may dip into the mid-30s F (about 2 °C), with frequent rain showers. The monsoon season (July to September) is hot and humid.
Lying within the territory of Chandigarh are the city of Chandigarh, several towns, and a number of adjoining villages. Administration of the territory’s government is provided by the governor of Punjab, who is assisted by a senior officer; both are appointed by the national government. Chandigarh city is the capital of the territory and of the states of Haryana and Punjab. Chandigarh’s name, meaning “stronghold of the goddess Chandi,” is derived from the Chandi Mandir, a temple dedicated to the goddess that is located near the town of Mani Majra. Area union territory, 44 square miles (114 square km). Pop. city, (2001) 808,515; union territory, (2001) 1,063,000; city, (2011) 960,787; union territory, (2011) 1,054,686.
With the partition of India in 1947, the old British province of Punjab was divided into two parts. The larger western part, including the Punjabi capital of Lahore, went to Pakistan. The eastern part was granted to India, but it was without an administrative, commercial, or cultural centre. Consequently, plans to find a suitable site for the capital of the new Indian Punjab were undertaken soon after partition. The Indian government considered several options—including Amritsar, Jalandhar (Jullundur), Phillaur, Ludhiana, Shimla (Simla), Ambala, and Karnal—and selected the present site of Chandigarh in 1948. It was hoped that a magnificent new state capital, scenically located at the foot of the Himalayas, would become a symbol of modernity, would heal the wounded pride of Indian Punjabis, and would house thousands of mostly Hindu and Sikh refugees who had fled from Muslim-dominated Pakistan.
The city was planned by the Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier, assisted by Maxwell Fry, Jane Drew, and several Indian architects and town planners. Construction began in the early 1950s, and most of the city was completed in the early 1960s. The project ultimately required the relocation of some 21,000 people from 58 villages.
The Chandigarh union territory was constituted on November 1, 1966, when the Indian Punjab was reorganized along linguistic lines into two new states—predominantly Hindi-speaking Haryana and Punjabi-speaking Punjab. Straddled between Haryana and Punjab, the city of Chandigarh was made the shared capital of the two states and of the union territory itself. Under the terms of the 1986 Punjab Accord, the entire union territory was to become part of Punjab, whereas the agriculturally productive, mostly Hindi-speaking areas of Fazilka and Abohar, both in Punjab, were to be transferred to Haryana; by the early 21st century, however, this plan had yet to come to fruition.
The contemporary city and territory
The city of Chandigarh, with its well-developed infrastructure and relatively low population density, covers more than half of the union territory. It consists of more than 50 rectangular sectors, which are separated from one another by broad streets carrying the city’s fast-moving arterial traffic. The main government buildings are in the northern part of the city. In the southeast are the industrial areas, separated from the residential sectors by a greenbelt planted with mango trees. Among the city’s principal industries are electronics, pharmaceuticals, ceramic plumbing fixtures, and electrical appliances.
Most of the population of the territory is concentrated in the southern sector of Chandigarh city. Hindus constitute by far the predominant religious group, although Sikhs form a significant minority. There also is a sprinkling of Muslims, Christians, and Jains. Hindi and Punjabi are the most widely spoken languages in the territory.
The territory has many notable educational and cultural institutions, including Panjab University (founded 1947), the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, the Punjab Engineering College, the Government College of Art, and the Government Medical College and Hospital. There also are several specialized arts academies. Chandigarh’s local museum houses a rich collection of Gandhara sculptures and Pahari and Sikh paintings, while archaeological digs in the area have yielded ancient Indus civilization (c. 2500–1700 bce) artifacts, particularly pottery. The city also is known for its extensive rose garden and for its unusual rock garden, which contains numerous statues created from broken objects by the self-taught artist Nek Chand.
Chandigarh has a multitude of sports and recreation facilities. In the northeast is the large, artificial Lake Sukhna, which has become the main spot in the city for promenading and evening recreation. There also are many government-supported sports complexes and community centres. These have served as the training grounds for numerous nationally and internationally competitive athletes in field hockey, cricket, rowing, and other sports.