Rock Garden is in Sector 1 in Chandigarh.
It is a one-of-a-kind, scrap-tastic adventure for the rock-aficionado in all of us! This eccentric haven, also known as Nek Chand Saini’s Rock Garden, was the brainchild of Nek Chand Saini, a government official who began crafting this magical kingdom in his spare time way back in 1957. And what started as a secret hobby has now grown into a sprawling 40-acre (16 ha) sculpture garden!
As you wander through the garden, you’ll be transported to a world made entirely from industrial and household waste – yes, you heard that right, everything from discarded bottles, bangles, tiles, pots, pipes, and electrical waste has been given a new lease of life in this garden. The recently released movie Shershaah even had some scenes shot here!
Nek Chand’s vision of a divine kingdom, Sukrani, took shape near Sukhna Lake and its interlinked waterfalls, walls of sculptures, and pathways will leave you in awe. This work of art was created in a conservancy forest near the lake and had been hidden for 18 whole years before it was discovered by the authorities in 1976. But Nek Chand’s passion and the public’s support saved the park from being demolished, and it was officially inaugurated as a public space.
With the government’s help, Nek Chand set up collection centers around the city to gather waste, especially rags and broken ceramics, to add to his ever-growing scrap kingdom. Sadly, when he left the country on a lecture tour in 1996, the park was left vulnerable to vandals, and the Rock Garden Society had to step in to keep this unique environment thriving.
Today, the Rock Garden continues to be made from recycled materials and attracts over 5,000 daily visitors, with a total of over 12 million visitors since its creation. Women even celebrate the Teej Festival here! So, don’t wait any longer and visit the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, it’s open from 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (April-September) and 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (October-March), with an entry fee of INR 30 for adults and INR 10 for children.
Get ready to be wowed by the creativity, humor, and charm of Nek Chand’s recycled kingdom!
The Rock Garden sits near Sukhna Lake. It consists of man-made interlinked waterfalls and many other sculptures that have been made of scrap and other kinds of waste (bottles, glasses, bangles, tiles, ceramic pots, sinks, electrical waste, broken pipes, etc.) which are placed in walled paths.
In his spare time, Nek Chand started collecting materials from demolition sites around the city. He recycled these materials into his own vision of the divine kingdom of Sukrani, choosing a gorge in a forest near Sukhna Lake for his work. The gorge had been designated as a land conservancy, a forest buffer established in 1902 that nothing could be built on. Chand’s work was illegal, but he was able to hide it for 18 years before it was discovered by the authorities in 1976. By this time, it had grown into a 12-acre (4.9 ha) complex of interlinked courtyards, each filled with hundreds of pottery-covered concrete sculptures of dancers, musicians, and animals.
His work was in danger of being demolished, but he was able to get public opinion on his side. In 1976 the park was inaugurated as a public space. Nek Chand was given a salary, a title (“Sub-Divisional Engineer, Rock Garden”) and 50 laborers so that he could work full-time. The Rock Garden appeared on an Indian stamp in 1983. The Rock Garden is still made out of recycled materials. With the government’s help, Chand was able to set up collection centers around the city for waste, especially rags and broken ceramics.
When Chand left the country on a lecture tour in 1996, the city withdrew its funding, and vandals attacked the park. The Rock Garden Society took over the administration and upkeep of this unique visionary environment.
The garden is visited by over 5,000 people daily, with more than 12 million visitors since its inception.
Women celebrate the Teej Festival at Rock Garden Chandigarh.
recommended nearby places
Government Museum and Art Gallery- Chandigarh
Government Museum and Art Gallery is in Sector 10 in Chandigarh It was built during partition of 1947 and is…
