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Chandigarh: A bundle of contradictions yet sorted & composed…

Tribuneindia.com invites contributions to SHAHARNAMA. Share anecdotes, unforgettable incidents, impressionable moments that define your cities, neighbourhoods, what the city stands for, what makes its people who they are. Send your contributions in English, not exceeding 250 words, to shaharnama@tribunemail.com Do include the name of your city and your social media handles (X/ Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)

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Illustration: Anshul Dogra
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Italian writer Italo Calvino may have written: “You take delight not in a city’s seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours,” for a city he fancied, but it has always reminded me of Chandigarh.

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Because the city has always whispered the answers I sought — through its vibrant springs, gleeful showers, rustling of autumn leaves, and crisp winters. More than a city, it has been the proverbial wind beneath my wings, and a companion during my journey of self-discovery as a creative writer. Married and settled here for the last 26 years, with 14 years in the teaching profession, I find myself rooted here more than even my hometown, Ludhiana.

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The exclusive charm of Chandigarh’s physical, social and cultural spaces, the nature trails, the verdant foliage, and the living sculptures – mango, kachnar, amaltas, and shisham trees – dotting the cityscape, are spellbinding. My daily drives across Jan Marg to the college, especially during monsoons with the Shivalik Hills in my rear-view mirror, are a balm to the soul.

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As a lover of art, culture and literature, Chandigarh has given me spaces to thrive — from Panjab University to Tagore Theatre, from Panjab Kala Bhavan to Government Museum and Art Gallery. It may not boast of ancient monuments, yet as a post-independent modern urban city, its people have added layers of meaning and history to its identity.

Yes, the urban sprawl and the ever-exploding periphery have brought congestion and chaos. Yet, its spirit — calm, cultured, and inclusive — remains intact.

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This city is an extension of my being – a bundle of contradictions yet sorted and composed. It’s home — now and forever.

Prof Sunaina Jain, Chandigarh

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