Chandigarh: A bundle of contradictions yet sorted & composed…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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