(This article was first published on 12 June 2015 and has been reposted from The Quint’s archives on Nek Chand’s birth anniversary)
It’s not for nothing that Chandigarh is known as The City Beautiful.
Its perfect blend of rusticity and modern nuances makes this north Indian city a hub of tourist activity. One of its most popular tourist attractions? The iconic Rock Garden.
The man behind the famous sculpture garden, Nek Chand, passed away on 12 June 2015 in Chandigarh. He was 90.
Born on 15 December 1924, in Shakargarh region – now in Pakistan – Nek Chand worked as a road inspector for the Public Works Department.
While the garden was built using waste and other unused household materials, the artwork for Rock Garden was fashioned from rocks and industrial and urban waste. Chand started work on the Rock Garden in the early 1960s; the garden was inaugurated in 1976.
Nek Chand was awarded the Padma Shri in 1984.
In his spare time, Nek Chand collected materials from demolition sites around the city, recycling them and later infusing them into his own vision.
Rock Garden currently spans over 25 acres of several thousand sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards. Nek Chand’s creation also combines huge buildings with a series of interlinking waterfalls.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)