Rock Garden, (Chandigarh)

The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a sculpture garden in Chandigarh India. It is also known as Nek Chand's Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres (161874.25 m). It is completely built of industrial and home waste and thrown away items. It is near Sukhna Lake. It consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and many other sculptures that have been made of scrap and other kinds of wastes bottles, glasses, bangles, tiles, ceramic pots, sinks, electrical waste,brokenpipes, etc. which are placed in walled paths.

In his spare time, Nek Chand started collecting materials from demolition sites around the city. He recycled these materials into his own vision of the divine kingdom of Sukrani, choosing a gorge in a forest near Sukhna Lake for his work. The gorge had been designated as a land conservancy, a forest buffer established in 1902 that nothing could be built on. Chand’s work was illegal, but he was able to hide it for 18 years before it was discovered by the authorities in 1975. By this time, it had grown into a 12-acre (49,000 m2) complex of interlinked courtyards, each filled with hundreds of pottery-covered cancrete sculptures of dancers, musicians, and animals.

His work was in danger of being demolished, but he was able to get public opinion on his side. In 1976 the park was inaugurated as a public space. Nek Chand was given a salary, a title (Sub-Divisional Engineer, Rock Garden), and 50 laborers so that he could concentrate full-time on his work. It appeared on an Indian stamp in 1983. The Rock Garden is still made out of recycled materials. With the government’s help, Chand was able to set up collection centers around the city for waste, especially rags and broken ceramics.

When Chand left the country on a lecture tour in 1996, the city withdrew its funding, and vandals attacked the park. The Rock Garden Society took over the administration and upkeep of this unique visionary environment.

The garden is visited by over 5,000 people daily, with more than 12 million visitors since its inception. Teej Festival is a festival celebrated with lot of pride by women at Rock Garden Chandigarh.

guys, last summer i visited Chandigarh,as we all know this city is known for its beauty & cleanliness we had a good time over there!In Chandigarh, there is a Garden known as Rock Garden, this garden has been constructed from all industrial & household waste materials.Whether its broken bangels, cuttlery, tiles, mirrors,tubelights & even toilet fixtures.The garden has timings it gets open at 9 am in the morning till 7pm in the evening. It also has entry charges,ticket will cost you 20 rupees for adults & 5 ruppes for kids.The Garden is also known as Neck Chand''s Rock Garden! When you visit to this place a thought will always comes in your mind that why,this idea never came into my mind its that fantastic place.

It gives you innovative ideas when you see the sculptures present there. There is also a man made waterfall present in the second phase of garden. It gives you a feeling of dense forest & no body can guess whether its a man made architecture or natural beauty.

I want to share some points with you which will help you before visiting to this place such as:-

1.Try visiting this place during winters or maninly in October or November month as its quite hot in summers so you won''t be able to enjoy the atmosphere of this garden.

2.Take your kids along with you,it gives them innovative ideas that, the things which we call as waste can be used in these forms as well.

3.Take pictures near waterfalls. It looks beautiful, gives you a feeling of a filmy destination.

Food facility inside the park is not that good,so try taking some snacks with you if you are with kids.

Do not forget to take a camel ride over there,its very interesting.

The best thing i like about this place is the pathways, they are damn beautiful! All in all its really an interesting place for kids & also for the ones who loves creativity & always wanted to do something creative in life!

This place has a touch of ground as well as hills as follows:

Sculptures made of old crockery ,

Statues made of broken bangles,

Hills with falling water/ waterfall, ( one is light and other one is 10 to 12 mtrs wide) .

There is a old type hut made of mud and grass,

There is also a small museum contains old things like utensils, door mates made of dry grass.

This garden is very well reachable via bus, auto or Rickshaw. Good hotels are accessible within 20 min distance. We really like the nearby Sukhna lake to this garden which make you feel like a hill station.

School children's roaming all over the Garden make it more lively. I suggest to visit it once, at least if you are in this beautiful city. It is one of the attraction and the symbolic icon but there is nothing like visiting again and again as everything is stationary and you will not found it exciting every-time.

While coming out you will definitely thank Nek Chand who planned and established this creative rock garden.