Chandigarh then and now

Like an emerald encircled diamond, the lush and verdant city of Chandigarh ,dazzles with its unique ambivalent quality. From a laid-back paradise for retired gentle folk ,bureaucrats and students it is now a veritable hub of activity.

Those of us who grew up in the romantic sixties and seventies , havenostalgic memories of spick and span wide roads with more pedestrians and rickshaw pullers than vehicles. Occasional Fiats and Ambassadors ruled the roost and demure two wheelers wooed the fairer sex . The Leisure Valley’s natural curves were as popular as the scenic splendor of the Sukhna Lake.
The old cinema halls Jagat, Kiran, Neelam and later KC provided great entertainment value for money as the latest film could be seen for as little as Rs 3.50 in the balcony. Corn on the cob roasted on charcoal fires in the monsoons was a sumptuous treat. One could ride a rickshaw across town for less than Rs 10 and perhaps catch a glimpse of Kapil Dev and Yuvraj in their teenage glory. The Student Centre was a rendezvous for all budding intellectuals in the Univeresity while midnight “ paranthas” outside PGI were almost like a surreptitious feast.

Alas ! what we see now is the westernized MTV version of “Punjabi Mutiarsand Mundas”- Gone are the colourful parandis and pagris. Instead we have shift dresses and halter tops over skin tight jeans and Habib created hair styles. Outrageously large –bodied cars vie for space on the already burdened roads. Avenues of shady flowering trees just about manage to keep their Gulmohurs and Golden bearers from withering in the toxic fumes of pollutants. Food Courts have taken over road side hawkers and even juices come from juice bars. The lake is more of a haunt for “ Bird Watchers” than for meditative star gazers. The City Center in sector 17 shopping plaza is more for window shoppers than for serious buyers. Pubs , Discos and eating
houses have mushroomed in keeping with the reputation of the city with the highest per capita income in India. Paying guest accommodation provide good money to landlords and blissful freedom to youngsters.

People who complain that Chandigarh has no soul should realize that it has the soul of a maverick straining against its shackles to soar to dizzy heights. The architectural wonders stand sentinel and the lights of Kasauli shimmer like beacons.

“yeh naye mizaaj ka shahar hai zaraa faasle se mila karo.”

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