CHANDIGARH FROM THE

EYES OF AN INSIDER
An approach to discover the psycho-social integrity of the Indian
lifestyle in architecturally- controlled environment





















July 2014
Anandita
Anandita@Anandita.in

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Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Resilience .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 9
References ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Image references:............................................................................................................................ 10



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Abstract

Chandigarh, independent India's first planned city, famed French architect Le Corbusier's professional
milestone, is an open laboratory. The city's architecture is an ongoing experiment where planners
continue to learn the relationship between the built mass and the eco system evolving in it.
All ecosystems show a level of resistance to any new environment, though soon end up adapting and
harmonizing with the new realities. Often, the cultural landscape is a major factor that determines its
progress and facilitates the existence of the various species.
In terms of the modern architectural world, an ecosystem is dependent on the socio-cultural and
economic set up of the society. Any building, community or city is human(e) enough only if it gives its
inhabitants the space to grow and regenerate.
Chandigarh is one such outstanding example in the modern world. It has well established itself to be
a breeding ground for the Indian culture that too the rugged north Indian culture, that has over the
last five decades lent in every possible way for adaption to the vision and ideologies set by a foreign
planner and architect.
Metamorphosis of a social pattern is indeed an interesting concept that can be studied by observing
Chandigarh. It clearly portrays the inter relationship of human life and architecture, the values that
are integrated into the lifestyle by a different architectural style given to them by a visionary of a
different social setup.
A study of Chandigarh, is not only study of a master architect's work, is an ongoing experiment to
evaluate the impact of this world class architecture on a culture which is vastly different. It is also a
study of how the architecture has evolved and got impacted by local practices and sensitivities, and
has incorporated the cultural ethos of the ecosystem it needs to sustain.


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Introduction
Chandigarh, independent Indias first planned city came into existence in 1958. It is often also
considered master architect Le Corbusiers professional milestone. As of date, in todays architectural
scenario, it is considered as an open laboratory with an ongoing experiment to study the co-existence
of two very different phenomenons, one, the presence of planning concepts that have revolutionised
the urban planning theories and second the very vibrant culture of north India. The presence of these
two very distinct ideologies makes this city unique in its own way. The citys architecture has inspired
architects and planners from across the globe to continue to learn the relationship between the built
mass and the eco system evolving in it.
Chandigarh, better known as the City Beautiful, is the brainchild of Independent Indias first Prime
Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It was envisioned as the countrys first step towards modernism,
free of any colonial or imperial thoughts. A city that would provide for a peaceful and harmonious
environment to the people who had already gone through a very traumatic period of partition. Adding
to the emotional wounds were the bruises caused by the loss of property and loved ones. The only
hope that these refugees had was of a bright future the country had to offer post-independence. It
was more than a necessity for the then Prime Minister to provide for that social security and basic
facilities to its people. Hence, the only answer to all these problems was to establish a city that is free
of all prejudices and that would serve as a benchmark for the future in terms of development.
The city was not just a revolutionary concept in his head, but the concept was given form in an
unimaginable way, going by the standards of that time. The country was suffering from economic,
political and social upheaval; therefore a need for a revolution to kick start the development and
growth was inevitable. Chandigarh came across as that perfect solution. The trust and social security
was restored in the minds of the people as the city gave the people their land, peace and most
importantly a respectful social life.
The planning of the city was handed over to Albert Mayer and Mathew Nowicki. Unfortunately,
Nowicki died in an airplane accident and Mayer too withdrew from the project and therefore the
project was handed over to the master architect Le Corbusier.
Le Corbusier reconsidered the superblock model of
the Albert Mayer plan and came up with a grid iron
planning for the city taking in account the physical
features of the site. Since the site was resting next to
the Shivalik Foothills, Corbusier got a natural feature
to compliment his planning concepts. The city was
designed with the fundamental rule that it had to
function like a human body. This was achieved by
keeping the functions just like they are placed in the
human body.

Figure 1 Le Corbusier with the grid iron plan of the city

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The brain or the mind of the city i.e. the secretariat is placed on the top while the city centre is placed
in the centre which is supposed to be the heart of the city. The roads are seen as the various arteries
that carry the basic essence of life. Beyond these functions, the hands of the city are placed on the
east and west side, the industrial zone and the educational hub respectively.
Since the city is based on the concept of grid iron plan, it has
rectangular blocks that are the living zones of the city. These
sectors were planned in such a manner that they are self-
sustaining blocks that serve for the daily needs of their
residents. These sectors are well equipped with services like
a market strip, school, medical aids and religious institutions.
Also each one has a green strip passing through it moving
north to south accompanied by smaller green parks and
gardens. These strips were incorporated as breathing zones
for the city to cope up with the stress of urban pressures and
pollution.

The city has grown in every possible aspect; size and population. The needs of the people have
changed from what it was designed for. The city has grown with these changing needs and has very
well kept up with the basic motto behind its existence i.e. to be a modern city. It has only
complimented the very vibrant culture of north India in every possible. The city has stuck by the theory
of resilience in the urban scenario through these last 6 decades of its existence in a developing nation.


Figure 2 The Plan of the City

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Resilience
Resilience in urban scenario is defined as the capability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from
significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to public safety and health, the economy, and
security"

of a given urban area. Resilience in simple words can also be defined as coming back to a
new normal while retaining the basic essence and character. This can be seen as coping from any kind
of hazards be it natural calamities or man made threats. Man made threats can range from changes
that lead to loss of the character of the city to events that are a counter reaction of the actions of the
human race over a period of time. Resilience can be studied in various urban scenarios where the
architecture and the urban design have constantly evolved in accordance with the eco systems
dwelling in it. Chandigarh, as mentioned before is one such example that is perfect to study the impact
of the culture on the architecture and vice versa.
The study of Chandigarh is an attempt to understand the psycho-social integrity of the Indian lifestyle,
regenerating in the vision of a foreign planner/architect. Even after more than half a century of its
existence Chandigarhs perfection is hard to match by its counterparts that have come up in the recent
decades. The typical Indian community fabric was woven out of common public spaces and even the
private dwellings were made to integrate into the public informal squares. The fabric was often
organic and hence the spaces that were created were not planned or conceived rather they were a
result of the human psychology.
In contrast if we try and study Chandigarh it is far from being organic in its planning but still it follows
the rules of organic growth when it comes to the growth and evolution of the eco systems and the
community. Beyond the grid lines of Corbusier there lies a world of Punjabis and various north Indians
whose basic cultural ethos is far from the European cultural of the designer of the city. The planning
of the city was initially criticized nationally for the lack of cultural essence and ethnic aesthetics.
Keeping in mind the fact that these factors were not in favour of the city, the city has shown quite a
tolerance to the ethnic groups that dwell in it. Resilience comes into play at this juncture where we
see the culture and the architecture cross paths. After six decades of its existence it hasnt lost its
charm and uniqueness to the cultural spirit of the people and on the other side neither the culture of
the city has ever faced a threat due to the world class architecture that houses it. The architecture has
always moulded itself with the needs and aspirations of the people. There are a lot of spaces in the
city that change their face and function accordingly. There are numerous examples at the urban level
and at the architectural level that prove that the city is resilient towards these changes. There are
examples quoted below that will help in understanding this phenomenon.
At the urban level there are temporary changes that the citys urban fabric witnesses. For example,
the city was planned with open squares like in the city centre and special squares for parades and
exhibitions but then these changes transform into open markets and protest grounds for the people.
The function of the space changes but the dynamic character of the space is retained and restored
through all these changes. The central plaza at the city centre takes shape of a rock show concert
ground one day and the next day it would hold a protest march while the basic essence of the plaza
was to provide for a vehicle free relaxation space for the shoppers to enjoy their day. Similarly the city
has one of the largest Rose Garden that is located in the heart of the city. To satisfy the basic need to
have celebrations and festivals the city celebrates Rose Festival in February each year in order to
celebrate the Roses that blossom. This is a cultural aspect that was never envisioned or planned by

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the team of architects and planners. The question arises that what is the aspect that justifies the citys
resilience? The answer again lies in the transformation of elements that introduced to fulfil a very
basic purpose. The Jan Marg, one of the three main arteries of the city transforms itself into a carnival
ground that hosts the temporary market strip. This transformation is so smooth that the city has
adapted it into its form and the fact that the cultural needs have evolved in the very straight lined
spaces is a testimony to the fact that the city is not resistive towards the culture nor too flexible to
lose its character.
Le Corbusier by the end of the Chandigarh project fell in love with the city that he wanted to now
create a relaxation space for the city residents and therefore he created the famous lake in the city
now popularly known as the Sukhna Lake. According to him the concept behind the introduction of
this element was to have a tranquil area away from the hustle and bustle of the city. What he couldnt
anticipate was that this part of India doesnt really believe in relaxing alone. Again the cultural
difference is seen here. The north Indians are fond of doing everything in groups and to add on to it
very loudly. Hence, for us, the Punjabis, relaxation means collecting a bunch of friends and relatives
and having a gala time. The very tranquil lake of Le Corbusier is now seen as a spot for families and
young people as a regular picnic spot. It has very conveniently slipped into this category of space. You
can hear girls giggle in every corner or a group of young cracking jokes. Has it lost its character? No.
Definitely not. It still is a relaxation place for the residents; it has a charm of its own. I truly believe
that it is not exactly what the planner had desired but yet again the element has maintained its
character while incorporating the cultural needs. The theory of resilience in urban scenario is
completely justified here. As mentioned above the very fact that the city has achieved a new normal
while depicting the original characteristics it can be termed as resilient.
Talking at the micro level or that the architectural level, the city gave its residents to choose the size
of its dwelling in any sector having provided with almost all categories of plot sizes in all sectors. This
not only eliminated the discrimination from the minds of the residents but also mad the entire system
efficient. The very fact that all stratas of the society co-existed in the same sector ensured that the
needs of these stratas was met within the sector and that everyone irrespective of their financial
standing were provided with the same amenities. This somehow brought a sense of liberation to the
citizens who had suffered immensely through the period of partition of the country. The basic need
of instilling this sense of equality and harmony in the people was fulfilled. The feeling that the colonial
rule and the discrimination in the society have come to an end was felt when everyone shopped in
the same city centre went to the same gardens and studied in the same schools. While this was
justified the people were still adopting the planning concepts of the city. The Gullies they were so
used to were absent in this modern city. The citys residential areas were designed long straight
streets or Vs as called by Le Corbusier unlike the organic pattern of the typical Indian towns. It was
majorly criticized for being so planned!
The major fallout that the residents also felt was that the informal squares or the Chaupals (public
meeting squares generally under a tree at major cross roads in village used for village meetings and
general discussions by the residents.) were missing. The city however even adapted to this sabha
(collective meetings) culture of which its residents were so used to. No physical changes were made
to the architectural form of the city; instead the culture just crept into the veins of the city. Today the
people are seen interacting in the common spaces between the dwelling units. The major festivals in
the Indian culture involve community participation hence there arises the need for huge open spaces.

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The need for these huge collective spaces for community festivals is fulfilled by the green spaces that
are provided as the breathing spaces. Was this need for community space completely ignored by the
master planners? No. It was intelligently handled as he provided community halls and other similar
spaces in all the sectors.
Coming down to a unit level, the units were again designed for one and all. From one room units to
house for the governor was designed and planned. These units were made in accordance to the low
budget. They were however made to be well lit and ventilated since the site has extreme climates.
Though they were different from the vernacular style of building that largely follows the courtyard
planning yet they allow the inhabitants to transform the spaces as per their needs and mental
conditioning. Hence, it can be concluded that climatology has been applied to the best possible level.
One critical example that explains this transformation and flexibility needs to be understood in this
aspect; food is a huge affair for any community and especially in the northern India. The traditional
cooking patterns involve using huge woks and pans and food be cooked on open flame. The kitchens
provided in the households do not allow this fashion of cooking but at the same time to counter this
problem people adapted the architecture and found a solution in the backyards of the houses. This
space provided as a private retiring zone for the family takes shape of an extended kitchen during any
festivity. The culture doesnt feel bound or trapped by the architectural style and at the same time it
doesnt forces the architectural fabric to change. The integrity of both the architecture and the Indian
lifestyle is maintained through this co-existence.
Another important aspect that needs careful consideration and analysis while studying this inter
relationship of architecture and the culture is the study of the economic status of the society dwelling
in it. While studying Chandigarh we need to thoroughly understand the fact that the Indian economy
is driven by small scale vendors and low cost service providers in various fields. The fact that the
country is still a developing nation implies that the societys major chunk is still under poverty or on
the border line of poverty and low income group. The cities are running smoothly for this group of the
society. Informal shops and service vending areas are an inevitable part of the society and the culture.
The peddle rickshaws, the vegetable and fruit vendors, the roadside food vendors are an indispensable
part of the city. The architecture and the spaces that were created by the foreign architects were not
influenced by these factors and as such this particular group of service providers. Chandigarh, as of
date, has moulded itself with the culture of these informal vendors. For example, in the last decade
the city has witnessed changes like the introduction of the cycle tracks for the peddle rickshaws and
the hawkers. The common grounds in various areas of the cities hold apni mandi (local informal
vegetable and fruit market). The market strips of the city that are planned along the V4s of the city
also showcase a melange of these elements. Such places provide for informal interaction spaces and
in turn help boost the economy of the economically weaker sections. How is this related to resilience?
The markets are supposed to be strips of shops but as per our culturally influenced and seasoned mind
set we (north Indians) see markets as more than a strip of shops offering the daily needs and services.
For us its a celebration of the variety we have in every possible thing. The markets are a place of social
interaction and being a part of an extended family i.e. the community. During the festivals these
markets change their dynamics and transform into an overwhelming celebration. Its like having a
community celebration happening beyond the usual trade of commodities. And this transformation
happens almost every month for there is a major festival that frequently. The V4s retain their own
identity while also letting the culture breathe in the same stride.

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These all aspects of the society have only grown in the last six decades with the growth in living
standards of the people. The celebrations have become more flamboyant and extravagant and the
city has kept pace with these changes and the incurring need for space and infrastructure. The
interesting point to be noted in this process of analysis is the futuristic planning done by the master
planners and the very fact that even after six decades the city is justifying the special needs of the
society. The very fact that it is the vision that takes to justify the planning and keep into account the
changes that come along with the technological advancements in the future.


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Conclusion
While we summarise the state of affairs for this particular piece of architecture and urban excellence
we need to understand the true meaning of resilience, resilience in context of architecture and urban
designs and then metaphorically relate these theories in manner that we can infer solutions for the
current problems faced by the world.
The scientific meaning of resilience is the property of a material that enables it to resume its original
shape or position after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity. When we now compare it to
the urban theory we have discussed above that it is the capability to prepare for, respond to, and
recover from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to public safety and health, the
economy, and security of a given urban area. Resilience for a human being is an individuals ability to
properly adapt to stress and adversity. Individuals demonstrate resilience when they can face difficult
experiences and rise above them with ease. To put it in nutshell we can clearly state resilience as a
characteristic feature to cope with changes, rise above them while not losing ones identity.
Chandigarh has grown from merely a population of few thousands to more than a million people living
in it today. The growth of population and the influx of immigrants have increased the demand for
infrastructure of all kinds. Also, it means the resources and the amenities like the city centre, the
recreational zones and the basic flora and fauna are under immense stress. Coping with this level of
stress generally has been responsible for deterioration of living conditions, compromise on public
facilities, pollution and stagnation in living standards. Chandigarh seems to see none of these
symptoms as of now proving to be a successful venture that justifies its existence. It has been voted
to be the best city to live in India for the last few years consecutively. It has maintained its urban fabric
coping with the minor stresses that come naturally with any civilisation and township. The city has
been a back bone of economic growth having countrys highest per capita income. The lessons to be
learnt from the city are not just limited to the grid iron plans or the monumental architecture of the
city but how to envision growth, prosperity and development at least half a century in the future.
Resilience doesnt lie in just maintain the form but it truly reflects if the thought behind the structure
is restored with its form. Resilience is seen and truly felt in this Indian city.

In Chandigarh the thought of modernism has been successfully withheld and materialised for
Chandigarh has become a culture in its own stride be it in architectural community or the North Indian
scenario.



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References

1. Evenson, Norma., 1966, Chandigarh. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press
2. Sarbjit Bahga, Surinder Bahga (2014) Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret: The Indian
Architecture, CreateSpace, ISBN 978-1495906251
3. Prakash, Vikramaditya. , 2002. Chandigarhs Le Corbusier: The Struggle for Modernity in
Postcolonial India. Seattle: University of Washington Press
4. Kalia, Ravi., 1999Chandigarh: The Making of an Indian City. New Delhi: Oxford University Press
5. Berkes, F., J. Colding, et al., (Eds.) 2003. Navigating socialecological systems: Building
resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
6. Coelho, D., Ruth, M. 2006. Seeking a Unified Urban Systems Theory. Paper presented at the
Fourth International Conference on the Sustainable City, Tallinn, Estonia.
7. Marg,1962, Volume 1, issue no.1, December 1962
Image references:
1. Figure 1: http://www.travelchandigarh.com/chandigarhBlog/chandigarh-history-facts/brief-
history-of-chandigarh
2. Figure 2: http://blogs.cornell.edu/crp2000-modernity/2013/11/22/a-history-of-chandigarh/