Chandigarh is one of the first planned cities in India. Just after India got independence and just after partition of India, Punjab needed a new Capital city to accommodate thousands of migrants entering India from the other side. The then first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru took it as an opportunity to develop a new planned city and for that he engaged few architects from America. Unfortunately, the two main architects died in an plane crash and the remaining work was carried out by the French architect Le Corbusier. He planned the whole city and also the Capitol Complex. The Capitol Complex was later in 2016 declared UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Le Corbusier, the architect and designer of The Capitol Complex
Le Corbusier was the architect who designed the city of Chandigarh, the first planned city of India.
At present, Chandigarh serves as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
The Capitol Complex
Over and above the whole plan of Chandigarh, about 100 acres area was designated for the Capitol Complex. The Capitol complex consist of four main buildings and open landscape around these buildings.
The four buildings are:
- The Palace of Justice
- The Open Hand Monument
- The Tower of Shadows
- The Palace of Legislature
Walking Tour of the Capitol Complex
Walking tour is organised by the tourism department daily in the morning at 10:00am, 12 noon and 3 pm. One has to reach the tourist information centre near Capitol Complex in Sector 1 Chandigarh. Registration can be done by providing valid ID proof/ passport. The group is headed by a govenment tourist guide who takes you towards the Capitol Complex.
The first point of interest is at a 5 minutes walk towards the right hand side, The Palace of Justice.
The Palace of Justice
The first spot of The Capitol Complex is the building where High Court of Punjab and Haryana is located and is a high security area. The building has a colourful entrance and the whole building is divided into 9 segments. On the left hand side of the main gate if the court of the Chief Justice and at the right hand side are eight courts of the Judges. In this way the first building belongs to the Judiciary.
one can clearly see that the building has intelligent design with double roof so that the building remains cool from inside avoiding direct rays of the sun. Also watch the windows have sun breakers so that direct rays of the sun are not entering the inside and the building remains cool inside during the summers. The eight courts of the Judges are two storied high and the third story has offices. Whereas, the building of the court of the Chief Justice is three story high.
The Open hand Monument
This is the next point of interest in Capitol Complex, just a stone through away from the Palace of Justice. This is the Open Hand Monument and it also encloses a open air theatre.
This is another hallmark of Le Corbusier’s minimalist yet modernist architectural philosophy.
The hand structure is made up of 50 tons of iron and it is so installed that it still moves with the direction of the wind. The sculpture carries a profound philosophical meaning: The hand to give, The hand to take representing generosity and receptivity, free exchange of ideas. Rotating hand symbolising Openness to new ideas and adaptability.
Another striking feature is the acoustic effects which can be experienced while standing into the amphitheatre. The design of the structure of the amphitheatre is such that, the voice of the speaker is amplified naturally. Do try yourself when ever you visit this special place.
The Tower of Shadows
The third and prominent structure inside the Capitol Complex is the Tower of Shadows. It was essentially an experimental structure designed by Le Corbusier to test his theories on sun control and passive cooling in architecture. The structure is designed in such a way that not even a single ray of sunlight enters the interior of the structure any time of the day. The northern side of the structure is completely open as sun never shines from the north. The other three sides have features in combinations of Vertical cross walls at different angles and horizontal wing walls of varing depths. This design meticulously avoids direct sunrays and allows free air circulation throughout the day.
The Palace of Legislature
The next spot of our walking tour of the Capitol Complex was The Palace of Legislature, the building where the legislative Assembly of Punjab as well as Haryana functions. The dome shaped structure visible over the building is the main hall of the legislative assembly.
The main door of the building is made up of iron blocks painted in various colours to make it like an art piece. The door is attached from the centre and opens by rotating the panel. It is opened only on special occasions and the regular entry is from the side of the building.
The building is accessible only by special permission and with government guides accompanying.
Notice the sun breakers in the building on the sides. Known as “brise-soleil” in French.
The best part of this whole walking tour of the Capitol Complex is the visit to the inside of this Legislative Assembly. We entered the main building from the side and deposited our mobile phones and other belonging on the security counter and followed the instructions of the guide towards the first floor.
There are offices on the sides and in the centre is the way for the main dome where the main legislative Assembly hall is located. The hall is very beautiful from inside and it feels like you are inside a beautiful planetarium with all kinds of art installations on the walls and the roof.
After spending few minutes inside the main hall, we checked out of the building and the guide took us back at the tourist information from where we started. This was the end of the walking tour. We thanked the guide and dispersed.
This was in fact a must visit place if you are in Chandigarh.
You can visit the website https://www.chandigarhtourism.gov.in/ for more information about Chandigarh. Hope you enjoyed the article.
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