Chaos abounds! In every way, Indian cities are collages of clashing elements. It seems that everyone is a merchant, whether they sell from a storefront or a nomadic basket and lawlessness engulfs all aspects of life. Traffic lacks order and food is entirely unregulated, leading to questionable choices in nearly every moment of day-to-day existence. This is, of course, much of what I love about this country; it is raw and real, daring you to test the limits and taxing your comfort constantly.
And then there is Chandigarh. The capital of both Punjab and Haryana states, it is the only planned city in India and quite an anomaly from the typical insanity. Designed by French architect and urban planner Le Corbusier, it features a grid of numbered sectors divided by paved and perpendicular streets where red lights are respected and drivers would not even consider dodging head-on traffic. The city is located in India’s agricultural heartland and features some of the finest food we sampled on our trip. With plenty of legitimate (not novelty) multi-cuisine options, we chose an Italian restaurant to satisfy our cravings for un-Indian and were molto impressato! Our second night there, we ventured to Khyber for some North Indian Frontier food that was heavy on kebabs and absolutely delicious, followed by a trendy bar crawl that could have been set in Manhattan’s Meat Packing district.
The highlight of our time here, though, had to be Nek Chand’s Rock Garden; a beautiful labyrinth of sculpted nature, where every twist and bend in the path revealed walls, water features or figures made of stone or found objects. It is childlike in its imagination and playfulness, created secretly for 15 years by a state road inspector inspired by the abundance of waste produced by the fledgling city. When it was finally discovered, it was recognized as an artistic treasure and sponsored with government assistance. It is a perfect microcosm of the city in its organized chaos with a creative flair. It was a city we never planned on seeing until it fit conveniently into our itinerary but it surprised and delighted us at every turn.