The name Chandigarh has originated from the name Shri Chandika, the Goddess of power. It is the capital of Punjab and Haryana, which is known for its exquisite architectural establishments of Le Corbusier. Chandigarh is the first planned city, which has excellent excursion places to visit. The hot summers and the chilly winters exhilarate and rejuvenate people frequenting Chandigarh for excursions. The best season to go for a vacation is during the autumn season.
Pinjore Gardens, also called Yadavindra Gardens are 20 km from Chandigarh, 15 km from Panchkula, on the Chandigarh Shimla road. Taxis and buses ply regularly between Pinjore, Kalka, Panchkula and Chandigarh. Pinjore lies on the foothills of the lower Shivalik ranges. The fascinating Mughal Gardens one of the most popular picnic spots. A mini zoo, plants nursery, a Japanese garden, historic palaces and picnic lawns await tourists. Especially at weekends, fountains are switched on and after dusk, lights pick up the beauty of the palaces by night.
When planning to go on excursions near by Chandigarh you can visit the Chattbir Zoo, which will definitely give you a pleasant sightseeing experience. Chattbir Zoo in Chandigarh is popularly known as the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park. It houses 800 different species of animals in a 202-hectare reserve.
The zoo is set on the Chandigarh Patiala road, which is around a 17kilometers drive from Chandigarh. The main attraction of the zoo is the Royal Bengal Tiger, which has developed into the perfect point of interest for visiting the zoo.
Visitors are taken in a caged motor vehicle to the tiger's refuge to savor its attractions. While traveling inside the tiger's refuge, the visitors can enjoy close ups of this magnificent animal. Various species of birds are also housed in this zoo. Another major attraction of the zoo is the Himalayan Black Bear.
Morni Hills are an offshoot of Shivalik range, which run in two parallel ranges. The village of Morni (Bhoj Jabial) lies on the mountainside, at 1220 meters or 3600 feet above sea level. Traditions assign the name of Morni to a Queen who is believed to have ruled this area. Situated in the lower reaches of the Shivalik range, Morni is ideal for a holiday with its cool clime, beautiful natural vistas and myriad opportunities for bird watching, trekking, rock-climbing and other adventure sports. The best time for visiting Morni Hills is from September to March.
Cactus Garden near Chandigarh, India is the largest succulent botanical garden of Asia. It is located at a distance of about 8 kms from the city of gardens. Situated in the heart of the city of Panchkula, it covers a total area of 7 acres. Cactus garden is known for its rare & endangered species of Indian succulents. You can spot nearly 3500 different kinds of species over there. Chandigarh Cactus Garden was set up in the year 1987. This unique garden consists of three green houses. It has been drawing more and more crowds every year, consisting not just of tourists, but botanists also.
Bhakra Nangal Dam is situated in the city "Bhakra" and its Asia's biggest dam. And is built on the "Sutlej River". It is 225.55 m (740 ft) high above sea- level. The length of the dam (the road above it) is 518.25, and 304.84 m broad. Its huge reservoir known as the "Gobindh Sarovar", stores up to 9621 million cu m, of water enough to drain the whole of the Chandigarh, parts of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, there were several problems while clearing the area of the village.
It also has 4 flood gates which are fully functional during the period of floods and also has 2 power- stations situated on the either sides of the dam, which receives water through huge pipes which are directly connected from the dam's reservoir to each power- plant.
