Chandigarh is a modern, planned city and a union territory in northern India. It is bordered by Punjab to the west and south, and Haryana to the east. Located 260 km north of Delhi and 229 km southeast of Amritsar, Chandigarh encloses most of Chandigarh Capital Region and the satellite cities of Panchkula and Mohali which form part of a “Tri-City”
The name Chandigarh is derived from the Hindu goddess Chandi, whose temple is present in the Panchkula district. One of the earliest planned cities of post-independence India, Chandigarh is known for its modern architecture and urbanity. The master plan of the city and most of the government buildings were designed by the Swiss French architect, Le Corbusier. Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex, a part of his designs, was declared by UNESCO, a World Heritage Site in the 40th session of the World Heritage Conference in July 2016.
The Tri-city, of which Chandigarh is a part of, has a population of over 1,611,770 according to the 2011 population census. Chandigarh is quite prosperous and has the highest per capita among Indian states and union territories. One of the best places to live, Chandigarh, has many luxury apartments and townships. The union territory has one of the highest Human Development Index among the cities of India. According to one of the surveys conducted by the electronics giant LG in 2015, Chandigarh is the happiest city in India.
It is one of the few cities in India which has masterfully blended monumental architecture, modernisation and culture. This has made many renowned developers come to the city. Omaxe, with its masterful projects, commands a significant presence in the Chandigarh region.
Brief History of Chandigarh
As part of the partition plan devised by the British, the former British province of Punjab was divided into mostly Hindu and Sikh east Punjab in India and predominantly Muslim West Punjab in Pakistan. The capital of undivided Punjab, Lahore, went to Pakistan. The first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru, instead of shifting the capital to an already existing city, envisioned creating an altogether new city to serve as the capital of Punjab. Shimla served as the temporary capital of the state before Chandigarh was built.
Albert Mayer planned a super block-based city with green spaces interspersed among cellular neighbourhoods. The plan was left mid-way when Mayer’s architect partner, Matthew Nowicki died in a plane crash. The same plan was picked up by Corbusier, who retained most of the original plan of the city. Along with designing many administrative buildings, Corbusier also designed ‘The Open Hand’, a 26-metre-high sculpture that signifies according to him – a sign of peace and reconciliation, open to give and open to receive.
The Capital city was officially inaugurated by India’s First President, Rajendra Prasad on 7 October 1953. On 1 November 1966, after a long-drawn movement that demanded a separate Punjabi state, the former state of Punjab was split into Punjabi-speaking Punjab and Haryanvi and Hindi-speaking Haryana. Both states share Chandigarh as their capital city until a resolution is reached. The city is directly controlled by the Central government.
Things Chandigarh is famous for
Architecture and Modern planning
Chandigarh is famous for its meticulous planning and modern architecture. With its tree-lined, well-laid roads and clustered sectors which are speckled with greenery, the city is the epitome of efficient planning and can be visited just for it.
Hotspots in and around Chandigarh
The city has many famous religious places like Mansa Devi Temple, Saketri Temple, Gurudwara Baoli Saheb, Jama Masjid, Gurudwara Nada Saheb etc. Apart from the religious sites, Chandigarh is also home to the beautiful Sukhna Lake, the exquisite rose garden, Zakir Gulab Bagh, and the Rock Garden.
The city serves as a gateway to many popular hill stations like Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Dalhousie and Dharamshala.
Educational Institutes in Chandigarh
Chandigarh has one of the highest literacy rates in India and has some of the best schools like St. Xavier’s, Sacred Heart Convent School, St. John’s High School and top colleges like Government college for girls, Government college for men, Government teacher training college, DAV college, etc. It is also home to many premier institutes like Chandigarh Engineering College, Punjab University and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Research.
Cuisine of Chandigarh
The city is famous for its food, especially Makke di roti and Sarson da Saag, which is often accompanied by a delicious large glass of lassi. The other food which is ubiquitous and can be found at every restaurant and Dhaba is Chole-Bhature. Other popular dishes are Mah ki dal, rajma and stuffed parathas. Punjabi cuisine is often suffused by big helpings of dairy products which may be in the form of Malai, paneer, curd etc.
Arts and Culture of Chandigarh
Chandigarh is an eclectic mix of diverse cultures. Hinduism and Sikhism coexist peacefully in the city, which has created a unique synthesis of both the cultures. People speak both Punjabi and Hindi.
The city has inculcated art through its sculptures, such as the famous Rock Garden that has figurines created by pieces of crockery, bangles, pots, stones etc. and through its theatres and museums.
All of these make Chandigarh a very livable city. Omaxe, with its township nearby the city provides a healthy mix of luxury apartments and many affordable options. People looking to earn good returns can also look towards property investment in New Chandigarh.
What Makes Chandigarh one of the best cities in India?
Chandigarh is one of the cleanest and most prosperous cities in India. Though it has been conceived out of a bloody and painful history of partition, the beauty of the city offsets that pain. The location of the city that was to be the new capital of Indian Punjab was selected after much deliberation, hoping that the scenic location of the foothills of the Himalayas may ease the pain of partition and displacement of people.
Chandigarh has around 50 sectors laid rectangularly and is separated by wide roads, which manage the city’s arterial traffic with much guile, and more trees than any other city in India.
Chandigarh city is a unique marriage of modernity and traditions, and a visitor to the city can witness this as soon as he steps foot there. The city’s governmental buildings stand as a paragon of modernity amidst the vast greens surrounding them. The element that is common to all these governmental buildings is water; lakes and water bodies can be seen in each one of them.
All these attractions make Chandigarh one of the best cities in India to live in as well as to visit.
Is Chandigarh good for property investment?
The average price of properties in Chandigarh is Rs 71.o8 lacs. Chandigarh has a scarcity of land due to major swathes of land already occupied. People are looking towards its satellite town, New Chandigarh. Seamlessly connected to Chandigarh, the town has many builders looking towards it as the new development frontier. Let us look at some of the reasons why you should invest in Chandigarh’s new developing area.
Ideal Location for a household
Chandigarh’s new area is the first eco-city of Punjab, located south of the Shivalik range and is seamlessly connected to the business sectors of Chandigarh such as Sector 11,14,17,15,18 etc. through Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg. The connectivity will help people to get to and off work easily.
A new development Hub
The planning and architecture of the city have helped create this new development of IT companies and hospitals. The city will also get a new 1700-acre proposed Education City. This will help appreciate the property rates in the area. So, an early investment here will generate significant returns.
Integrated Townships
Integrated townships are coming up here as more people move into the area because of its prominent location and plethora of job opportunities. An integrated township offers various facilities like markets, shops, recreation etc. at hand, which enhances the ease of living and saves people’s time. Omaxe,has a township in New Chandigarh which is built on state-of-the-art principles of engineering and is well-equipped with top-of-the-line amenities, which makes it a great investment option.
Nature as your constant companion
This location is close to the Shivalik Hills, and you have the luxury of living your life in the lap of nature. The serene environment is accompanied by a varied product mix which also includes independent 3 BHK luxury apartments which give you exclusivity along with the security of a gated community.
Range of amenities available
The range of amenities available here is top of the line as the best property builders are choosing to develop the city. Omaxe with its township and its varied product mix is well established here and provides world-class amenities like open gyms for kids, swimming pool, fully equipped gymnasiums and spas, children’s play area, yoga and meditation area, 24×7 security etc. These amenities are preferred by the people looking for an improved lifestyle which makes the properties of Omaxe a lucrative investment option.
The rich legacy of Omaxe
Omaxe has been developing real estate since 1987 and has a rich legacy of providing world-class real estate to people. The projects of Omaxe in the Chandigarh area are top notch, and its facilities, amenities and social and structural infrastructure are attracting people to reside there. All these make the investment in this region a very lucrative option.
An Unmissable Investment Opportunity
All of the above-mentioned features accompanied by a clean and peaceful environment make Chandigarh an extremely lovable and livable city. This will also help the real estate rates in the city appreciate considerably as more and more people make it their abode. This is certainly a city which has amazing prospects as an investment option.
