Rock Garden, Chandigarh - It Rocks!

I recently made my third visit to the famous Rock Garden in Chandigarh. Every time I go, I find new additions to art pieces, but this time I observed that the garden has undergone a sea-change and become a popular amusement place for picnickers and families.

A small hole in this wall(behind these visitors) is the ticket window.

The Rock Garden has expanded in area, and has now three phases.  The entry ticket, is a nominal Rs 20/-. The ticket window itself is a small hole in the boundary wall which I found quite interesting and it goes well with the very small arch-doors and narrow and twisted walkways that lead inside to Phase 2.

Phase 2 has exhibits which gives a hint of how waste material can be used in a creative way. There are displays on use of electrical wastes, broken terracotta pitchers. The Phase 2’s  winding corridor takes one to a scenic waterfall, which is always crowded as everyone wants to take a picture here. On the remaining stretch, I walked through rock sculptures of human figures,` man-made’ -real-looking tree-roots and other fancy structures.

Artificial and real trees!

Phase 3 begins with a low arch entrance, just when the Phase 2 ends.

The walkways are pebbled  throughout using medium size rocks which gives the the feel of a complete rocky environment along. The rough finish on the vertical constructions like pillars and walls adds to the terrain. In some places, they have erected huge pillars and walls by simply stacking cement-bags above each other, which I assume had become unusable elsewhere by getting wet or moist. Phase 3 is the largest in terms of areas and is full of small galleries. 

One gallery has fish aquarium alongside its wall, another gallery has several fun mirrors which distort the onlookers body image causing much laughter. Everyone laughs at themselves. There is a toy train and an open auditorium which is used for various cultural programmes. Phase 3 is more of an amusement park with very little original, typical Nek Chand- style mosaic statues. It is an arena for entertainment and picnicking.

The Phase I is the oldest  site, the original part from where this garden took off and is now the last part on the visit. It still has the same charisma and awesomeness and you are spellbound by the site of hundreds and hundreds of figurines covered with colourful broken crockery, tiles and bangles.

I will like to share the depiction of the place verbatim, as expressed by the authorities at the site -

`Chand & Chandigarh - The making of Chandigarh provided the site, opportunity and material for Nek Chand's own creation and the city's people and Government have supported his work. Without Chandigarh there would be no rock garden. Yet there is a clear contrast between, the city's grid pattern streets linking sector to sector and the Rock Garden's labyrinthine paths on which the journey is the purpose.’ - Nek Chand Foundation.

The small room  where this creative journey took off!

Rock Garden for the World - In over 50 years of endeavour, Nek Chand has used his technical know-how to turn his vision into a reality. From its heart at the hut that was once a secret, it is now a total environment that is open to all. Some see the Rock Garden as a recreation of the childhood village of Nek Chand's memories lost to him through the trauma of partition in 1947. Others see a universal home that unites the creatures and elements of nature, and soothes the spirit of the peoples of the globe.'--expressed outside a small mud hut where he first started making these wonderful pieces secretly during his free time.

Please follow me here to take a journey to the garden--