Tourist attraction 

Rock Garden of Chandigarh by Nek chand– with 2023 timings, entry fees

thetravelsaga

Welcome to Chandigarh, where man-made perfections are at the exhibition for the masses. Be it Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, Rock Garden of Chandigarh, or the tag of the first planned city in India, Chandigarh has it all that you should see to praise human creativity. If you think that the digital era men and women are more creative than the era that just went by, you need to scrap that thought. And, when I talk about scrap, a fantastic place comes to my mind. In this article, we are going to discuss a unique marvel of Chandigarh – The Rock Garden of Chandigarh.

In case you want to read about the other marvels of Chandigarh, visit our travel blogs on Chandigarh.

The Rocking Factors about the Rock Garden of Chandigarh

‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,’ an important slogan today, has a great example from the past. The material with which Rock Garden was created, I am sure nobody would have thought that it would become such a beautiful place to visit.

Made with a variety of scrap materials, the Rock Garden of Chandigarh is the most famous tourist spot of Chandigarh. People from all over the world come here to visit this breathtaking place.

How Nek Chand used scrap to beautify Rock Garden of Chandigarh?

When everybody on this earth was dumping their home and personal waste materials, there were a few people who had different thought altogether. One of them was Nek Chand Saini, who had this vision of converting this waste into recycled material. Who knew that a secret spare time project of Nek Chand would become a must-visit place of today’s time?

Rock Garden of Chandigarh has several sculptures, and each sculpture is made up with the help of recycled waste materials. Be it used glass bangles, ceramic pots, or electrical waste like wires; you will get to witness them when you visit Rock Garden.

Various small and big structures are made with the help of recycled materials and rocks, which is a treat for the eyes to watch.

Knowing more about this structurally beautiful garden of Chandigarh and its architect

The Rock Garden of Chandigarh was built in 1957 using industrial and home waste materials. Spread in an area of 40 acres, Rock Garden has a unique design with three phases and exceptional planning. Its construction is such that the entrance and exit are next to each other.

This sculpture garden has a great history attached to it, which I think you should know. History says that Nek Chand Saini wanted to create something from the waste materials. So, he chose a place in the forest area next to Sukhna Lake of Chandigarh and started creating sculptures by recycling waste materials.

He started making these sculptures using his vision for the divine kingdom of Sukrani in the year 1957 and kept it hidden from everyone. Nek Chand kept on working on this for as many as 18 years, and he grew it to 12 acres before the authorities could find it in 1975.

Later on, because of the public support, this place was allowed to be developed further under Nek Chand’s supervision.

The main attractions of Rock Garden of Chandigarh – things to do

Rock Garden of Chandigarh has 3 phases, each of which is beautiful and worth visiting.

Beautiful art work using scrap and recycled material at Rock Garden Chandigarh

As soon as you enter the garden, you get to see many sculptures made of broken bangles and recycled ceramic. There are a variety of structures standing on the rocks in the Rock Garden.

Electrical and ceramic waste used in the making of Rock GardenThe entire passage is designed with the help of rocks and walled paths. There are many narrow passages and some very low-height passages, which make it a fun trip.

Milk white Waterfalls at Rock Garden

One of the main attractions of Rock Garden of Chandigarh is that it consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and there are two awesome waterfalls to witness. The first waterfall is in phase 1 itself, and it is an excellent treat for the tourists.

The second waterfall is a bigger one and is in the second phase of the garden. The beauty of this waterfall is visible from some distance as well, and you are tempted to reach it immediately.

The final phase of the Rock Garden of Chandigarh is unique in its own sense. It has a significant open ground with a lot of swings all over, which you can enjoy with your family. There are some fun mirrors installed in this phase, which the children enjoy a lot. There is an aquarium as well in this phase, which showcases different varieties of fishes.

Since you have to walk through the entire area of Rock Garden, there is a provision to exit the garden after the second phase itself. Many older people find it convenient to exit from this spot since they get tired of walking.

Rock Garden of Chandigarh timings and ticket prices, entry fees

The summer timings of Chandigarh Rock Garden are from 9 AM to 7 PM. However, in winters, due to the excessive cold of the north region, the evening timings are reduced till 6 PM.

The entry fee at Rock Garden is very nominal. For adults, it is just 30 Rs, whereas, for kids, it is 10 Rs.

How to reach the Rock Garden from various parts of Chandigarh – Rock Garden address

Rock Garden is very close to Sukhna Lake, and both the tourist spots can be covered one after the other. It is situated in Sector 1 of Chandigarh. In case you want to reach Rock Garden from Chandigarh Railway Station, you can take a cab or an auto from there. The garden is hardly 7 km from the railway station, and it takes around 20 minutes to reach by cab. Similarly, you can also take a cab from Sector, 17 ISBT to reach the garden in 15 to 20 minutes.

Parking facility

There is an ample amount of parking facility available at Rock Garden; however, over the weekend, it becomes very crowded. You have to pay a nominal amount for parking your vehicle there.

Food options available inside Rock Garden

There are multiple food options available both inside and outside the Rock Garden of Chandigarh. In each phase of the garden, there are small outlets where you can purchase snacks. In the third phase, there are multiple vendors serving snack items. However, there are no branded outlets here, and you get to eat the usual snacking stuff only.

Public conveniences near the garden

There are public conveniences available outside the garden which you can use for free.

Photography at Rock Garden of Chandigarh

Photography is allowed at the Rock Garden of Chandigarh. You can take your high-end camera and shoot pictures inside the garden area. A lot of students and foreign tourists visit this place and click their next profile pictures.

Where to stay when visiting the Rock Garden of Chandigarh?

There are multiple options available to stay in Chandigarh and its nearby areas. You can find a lot of hotels in the popular sector, 17 of Chandigarh. You can choose a high-end hotel such as JW Marriot and Hotel Leela, or you may stay in a budget hotel of your choice.

Where else do we have Rock Gardens in India?

The rock garden is an integral part of Chandigarh and is a favourite tourist spot for many visitors here. There are various other places as well in India where Rock gardens are present. The famous rock gardens are the Barbotey Rock Garden of Darjeeling, Utsav Rock Garden of Karnataka, Oravakallu Rock Garden of Andhra Pradesh, and the Rock Garden of Ranchi.

Places to visit nearby

Chandigarh is home to several great human-made tourist spots such as Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, Doll Museum, Japanese Garden, & Rock Garden. Chandigarh is also a neighbour of Shimla, the queen of hills. Since Chandigarh shares its borders with Himachal Pradesh, there are several hill stations near Chandigarh. Some of the famous hill stations are Kasauli, Shimla, Manali, Solan, Chail, and Narkanda.

If you are planning a visit to Chandigarh, then I would suggest you check out Mohan Shakti National Heritage Park, a must-visit tourist spot.

I am sure you will love visiting Rock Garden of Chandigarh and will end up praising this wonder created by Nek Chand.

error: