Chandigarh is often known as the Garden City of India. This is because Chandigarh houses some of the most unique and most beautiful gardens in the country. In fact Chandigarh attracts visitors from all over the world because of its uniquely beautiful gardens. Here is a list of all the exquisite gardens that you will find in Chandigarh: Pinjore Gardens, Terrace Garden, Leisure Valley, Rock Garden and the Cactus Garden. The Cactus Garden is said to be the largest succulent and cacti landscaped garden in Asia.

The city of Chandigarh is essentially proud of its beautiful gardens and landscapes. The unique gardens not only help to attract tourists but also make Chandigarh one of the most beautiful cities in India. It allows its residents to stay in constant touch with the beauty of nature, plants and beautiful flora. The world famous rock garden and the largest rose garden of Asia in Chandigarh get maximum tourist attention. In fact Chandigarh has the most famous gardens in Northern India.

Famous Gardens in Chandigarh

Rock Garden

It is the ultimate tourist attraction in Chandigarh. It was created in the year 1958 by a man called Nek Chand Saini. He converted the city’s waste into works of art. The rock garden has various artifacts made from waste household items like broken saucers, plates, plugs, tin cans, bottles, etc. The small canyon in the garden attracts the tourists most. The canyon leads tourists to open chambers which have displays of various human and animal figures made from broken ceramic, glass or concrete. From April to September the park remains open for the public. The morning timings are 9 am to 1 pm and the evening timings are 3 pm to 7 pm. During the winter months from October to March the evening timings changes and it is 2 pm to 6 pm.

Rose Garden

The rose garden situated in Chandigarh is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also known as the Zakir Rose Garden. It is said to be the largest rose garden in all of Asia. In sector 16, next to the popular cricket stadium of the city, the beautiful rose garden is situated. The rose garden is spread across a vast area of 30 acres of land. It contains 50,000 rose plants of about 16,000 different rose species. The name of the garden is after Zakir Hussain, a former president of India. The Garden Rose Festival is an annual rose festival held here every year.

Leisure Valley

The Leisure valley is another popular garden in the city. It is situated in sector 1, amidst nature in the foothills. It is generally used by health conscious people for long walks, jogging, yoga, horse driving, etc. You can also learn to drive here as it is an open vast space.

Botanical Garden

The botanical garden is also situated in sector 1 of the city. It is situated in the middle of Sukhna Lake and Rock Garden. The botanical garden is also a vast area and it is spread across 88 acres of land. Some popular attractions of the botanical garden include lily pools, rockeries, rare species of plants in the greenhouses, etc.

Pinjore Gardens

Pinjore Gardens are more popularly known as the Yadavindra Gardens. It is located 20 kilometers from Chandigarh city and 15 kilometers from Panchkula. It is situated on the Chandigarh Shimla Road and has great historical importance. Fidai Khan, who was Aurangzeb’s cousin, was the one who designed this beautiful Mughal garden. Pinjore Gardens is a very popular picnic spot for the city. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that the five Pandava brothers rested here for a while during their exile. The garden is spread over 100 acres of land and is adorned with beautiful sloping pavilions and fountains. It also consists of a Japanese garden, a mini zoo, plant nursery, picnic lawns and historical palaces. There is also a guest house available for travelers to spend some leisure time here. Weekend is the best time to visit when the lights in fountains are turned on to put on a beautiful display of water work. The historical palaces look great in the dim light of the dusk.

Terrace Garden

Terrace garden with its flowery terraced pathways for walkers is another specialty of Chandigarh. The brightly illuminated musical fountain in garden will attract you towards it. It was built in 1979 and is spread across 10 acres of land. The annual Chrysanthemum show is held here every year.

Cactus Garden

The real name of the cactus garden is Cactus and Succulent Botanical Garden and Research Centre. It is situated in the city of Panchkula which is also a satellite city of Chandigarh. You will find 2500 different species of succulent and cacti plants in this garden.

Famous For

The fragrant flowers dominating the beautiful gardens of Chandigarh include champa, motia, raat ki rani, haar shringar, mehndi, varieties of jasmine and de mask rose. Taking a casual walk amidst beautiful smelling flowers is one of the most favorite pass times of the people of Chandigarh. The fragrant gardens also make a very good picnic spot.

Chandigarh is adorned with beautifully built and well managed gardens. The gardens are the crown jewel of the beautiful city of Chandigarh. The garden of fragrance situated in sector 36 is another must visit place in the city. This garden is a perfect combination of beautiful scenery amidst heavenly smelling flowers.