Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier.It is located in the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.
Chandigarh derives its name from the temple of "Chandi Mandir" located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity 'Chandi', the goddess of power and a fort of 'garh' laying beyond the temple gave the city its name "Chandigarh-The City Beautiful".
Fact File
The basic geographical and demographic profile of Chandigarh is as under:
| Area | 114 sq kms |
| Longitude | 760 47' 14E |
| Latitude | 300 44' 14N |
| Altitude | 304-365 meters above MSL with 1% drainage gradient |
| Annual Rainfall (average) | 1110.7 mm |
| Monsoon | July-September |
| Temperature | Winter Min. (Nov.-Jan, 2006) 10 C-160 C Summer Max. (April-July, 2004) 270C-440C |
| Prevalent Winds | From the North West to South East in Winter and reverse in Summer |
| Total Population (2001 census) | 9,00,635 (Rural population-92120 (10.2%) (Urban population-808515 (89.8%) |
| Density of population/sq. km. | 7,900 |
| Birth Rate (per 1000) | 21.45 (2005) |
| Death Rate (per 1000) | 10.22 (2005) |
| Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000) | 44.13 |
| Sex Ratio (females per 1000 males) | 777 |
| Decennial Population Growth | 40.33% |
| Literacy Rate | 81.9% |
The Master Plan of Chandigarh
Le Corbusier conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body, with a clearly defined head (the Capitol Complex, Sector 1), heart (the City Centre Sector-17), lungs ( the leisure valley, innumerable open spaces and sector greens), the intellect (the cultural and educational institutions), the circulatory system (the network of roads, the 7Vs) and the viscera (the Industrial Area). The concept of the city is based on four major functions: living, working, care of the body and spirit and circulation. Residential sectors constitute the living part whereas the Capitol Complex, City Centre, Educational Zone (Post Graduate Institute, Punjab Engineering College, Panjab University) and the Industrial Area constitute the working part. The Leisure Valley, Gardens, Sector Greens and Open Courtyards etc. are for the care of body and spirit. The circulation system comprises of 7 different types of roads known as 7Vs. Later on, a pathway for cyclists called V8 were added to this circulation system.
Climate
Chandigarh falls under Koeppen's CWG category i.e. it has cold dry winter, hot summer and sub tropical monsoon. Evaporation usually exceeds precipitation and the weather is generally dry.
The area experiences four seasons : (i) Summer or hot season (mid-March to Mid-June) (ii) Rainy season (late-June to mid-September); (iii) Post monsoon autumn/transition season (mid September to mid-November); (iv) Winter (mid November to mid-March). The dry spell of summer is long but with the occasional drizzles or thunder storms. May and June are the hottest months of the year with the mean daily maximum & minimum temperatures being about 370C & 250C, respectively. Maximum temperatures can rise up to 440C. Southwest monsoons with high intensity showers commence in late June. The weather at this time is hot and humid. The variation in annual rainfall on year to year basis is appreciable i.e. 700 mm to 1200 mm. The 20 year average rainfall for Chandigarh is 1100.7 mm. January is the coldest month with mean maximum and minimum temperatures being around 230C and 3.60C respectively. Winds are generally light and blow from northwest to southeast direction with exception of easterly to southeasterly winds that blow on some days during the summer season.