Rock Garden-Chandigarh, India

[marcopolo123]

Nek Chand rock Garden is a sculpture garden in Chandigarh. The Rock Garden is spread over 40 acres and features objects like palaces, soldiers, monkeys, village life, women and temples. The material used in creating these masterpieces are largely rocks, boulders, broken chinaware, discarded fluorescent tubes, glass bangles, building waste, coal and clay.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


Rock Garden has 14 sections in the lines of Sukrani, a divine kingdom as dreamt by Nek Chand, its creater. The prominent sections are a forecourt housing natural rock-forms, a chamber with a pond and a hut, the main court where the king’s throne is surrounded by natural stone forms depicting gods and even a swimming pool.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


The third phase of the garden features water falls, open air theatre, a village, mountains, over-bridges and pavilions. These are connected by small doorways where you need to bend humbly and pass through. The whole landscape is embellished with archways, vestibules, streets and lanes.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


The story behind Rock Garden

Nek Chand was a government official. During his spare time, he collected scrap and waste material from demolition sites around the city. Nek Chand also roamed the Shivalik foothills and picked up stones resembling bird, animal, human and abstract forms. After recycling the materials, he created Rock Garden in 1957, as per his vision of Sukrani, a divine land. What he did was illegal! Remarkably, he kept this secret hidden from authorities for 18 long years. Finally this was discovered in 1975 by the authorities who were contemplating demolition. But Nek Chand rallied Public Opinion and was able to get the Rock Garden declared as a Public Space.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


To top it all, he also got a salary, the title of Sub-Divisional Engineer and a labour force to complete the garden. He was awarded the coveted Indian civilian award, Padma Shri in 1983.

[kubabh]

omg,these stone people looks so good i want to have one in my garden

[Arun Mohan]

Credits: Chandigarh Rock Garden

[Arun Mohan]

Chandigarh Rock Garden Timings: 9.00 am - 1.00 pm and 3.00 - 7.00 pm

[samba_man]

Very Interesting !