The name of the city is derived from
the Goddess of power known as Shri Chandika whose temple is on Chandigarh-Kalka
Road. The temple is known by the name of Chandi Mandir. It is believed
to be an ancient site and has a major religious significance for Hindus.
After India's independence from British rule, Punjab became a state
without a capital. Though there was a temporary secretariat at Shimla
in Himachal Pradesh, the political leadership decided on the construction
of a modern and accessible capital. This was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's
Dream City of modern India. The city was named as Chandigarh. This is
the India’s first planned city.
The responsibility for the design was given to the French architect
Le Corbusier. With the help of his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, and that
of the English couple Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew (along with a number
of Indian architects prominent amongst them Chief planner Narinder S.
Lamba & Chief Engineer J.C. Verma) Chandigarh, the present capital,
came into existence at the foothills of the Shivaliks (the first of
three parallel chains of the Himalayas).
It was built in 1953 and serves as the capital of two states, i.e. Punjab
and Haryana. It is administered by the Central Government and is hence
classified as a Union Territory. Since 1986 there has been much talk
about officially handling it to Punjab on the basis of demography. The
issue however continues to be a matter of discussion with many political
disputes.
