Chandigarh

Chandigarh, the capital city of two states, Punjab and Haryana , is the infant city of India. If Varanasi symbolizes the spirit of ancient India, then Chandigarh is the city of today. Covering an area of 114 sq. kms , this city was built with an aim to provide a state capital to Punjab after the old capital, Lahore went to Pakistan at the time of partition.

The most striking thing about the city is the expanse of resplendent blue sky with the mountains in the backdrop. When you are approaching the city, you would see the jagged skyline of the Shivalik Hills looming large over the city and the faint image of an old temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi( 15 km form Chandigarh) from which the city got its name.

The political position of Chandigarh is quite ambiguous for anybody not knowing the city well. It is the capital to two northern Indian states Punjab and Haryana besides being a union territory in itself. The birth of this modern, youngest and happening city was an act of anguish and drama that took place at the time of partition of India and Pakistan. Lahore, the historical capital of Punjab was ceded to Pakistan and Chandigarh was conceived to be a symbol of India's freedom.