Page 106 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

104  DELHI & THE NOR TH

3 Chandigarh
Chandigarh district. 248 km (154 miles)
N of Delhi. * 1,054,700. ~ 8 km
(5 miles) S of city centre. £ @
n Interstate Bus Terminal, SCO
1064–65, Sector 22-B, (0172) 278 1138.
_ Rose Festival (Feb).
The state capital of both Haryana
and Punjab, Chandigarh was
Sufi saint Qalandar Shah’s dargah at Panipat, built in the 14th century built in the early 1950s by
the inter nationally renowned
1 Surajkund The older part of the town has architect Le Corbusier. It is
some interesting havelis, and considered the first modern city
Faridabad district. 21 km (13 miles)
S of Delhi. * 1,900. @ n Haryana a 14th-century tomb-shrine of post-Independent India and
Tourism, Chanderlok Building, 36 dedicated to the Sufi saint is laid out on a grid, divided
Janpath, New Delhi, (011) 2332 4910. Qalandar Shah. The new town evenly into 57 blocks or sectors.
_ Surajkund Crafts Mela (Feb). is a bustling settlement, strung Le Corbusier conceived the
along National Highway 1, city along the lines of a modular
Also known as the Lake of the which follows the route of man, with the Capitol Complex,
Sun, this historic reservoir, built the historic Grand Trunk Road which includes the Secretariat,
between the 10th and 11th (see p183). Today, Panipat is Assembly and High Court
centuries by King Surajpal of the well known for its furnishing buildings, as its “head”. The
Rajput Tomar dynasty, is today a fabrics and carpets. main shopping area, Sector 17,
popular picnic is the “heart” of Le Corbusier’s
spot. The original Environs plan, and is set around a
embankment of Karnal, 34 km central plaza and fountain,
stone terraces (21 miles) north lined with shops indicating
surrounding the of Panipat, lies that Chandigarh’s affluent
tank, specially at the heart of citizens are extremely fond
built to trap a rich pastoral of good food and clothes.
rainwater, still region and is Adjoining this sector is a gently
exists. Nearby, an an important undulating stretch of green,
artificial lake is Folk singers performing at the agricultural and the city’s “lungs”, with an
well-equipped Surajkund Crafts Mela cattle breeding enormous Rose Garden that
with boating centre. The is at its best in February. Over
facilities. The area comes alive in National Dairy Research Institute 1,000 varieties of colourful
the first two weeks of February, is situated here. Some 90 km roses bloom amidst winding
when an excellent crafts mela is (56 miles) north of Panipat, the paths, fountains and sprawling,
held here, with artisans from all pilgrim town of Kurukshetra is beautifully tended lawns.
over India selling their wares in a dotted with temples and marks The city’s extensive residential
specially created village. Puppets the mythical site of the epic sectors make up its “torso”,
from Rajasthan, bell metal beasts battle between the Pandavas with neat houses and gardens
from Odisha, and mirrorwork from and Kauravas, the heroes of showing impressive evidence
Gujarat are displayed alongside the Mahabharata (see p30). of the residents’ green fingers.
a variety of food stalls, while Each road is lined with a different
musicians and folk dancers weave species of flowering tree –
through the crowds, giving the laburnum, jacaranda, gulmohar –
fair a joyous, carnival air. adding colour to the cityscape.
Chandigarh’s Museum and
Art Gallery in Sector 10 houses
2 Panipat one of the country’s finest
collections of Gandharan
Panipat district. 89 km (55 miles)
N of Delhi. * 442,280. £ @ sculpture (see p47) and miniature
_ Urs of Qalandar Shah (Jul/Aug). paintings. Among the best
exhibits are a serene 6th-century
The site of three decisive battles Standing Bodhisattva in the
that changed the course of Gandharan style, and a rare
Indian history, including one 11th-century statue of Vishnu
which led to the founding of holding a conch shell from
the Mughal Empire (see pp54–5) Kashmir. The miniatures section
in 1526, Panipat is situated on has a comprehensive display of
a flat, dusty plain and traces Ritual prayers at the sacred temple tank Pahari paintings (see p125) from
its history to the epic age. at Kurukshetra the Kangra, Basohli and Guler
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp694–5 and p707

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