'Doesn't feel like India, so organised': British architect's first impressions of Chandigarh go viral

A British architect has sparked discussion on social media after saying that Chandigarh 'doesn’t feel like India' during his recent visit to the city. In an Instagram video titled ‘First Impressions Chandigarh,’ Russell Henderson expressed surprise at how organised and chaos-free the city was.

"First impressions, look at this. Do you really think this is a city in India? It is crazy. This is nothing like anything you'd expect in India, really. look how organised this city is," said Henderson.

"You've got double road traffic here, double road traffic there. Look at that, bicycle signs there. In India, I've never seen that before, really."

"Bicycles, pedestrians, perfect. As you can see, it's a very well-planned city. Lots of space, no congestion whatsoever. Lots of parking, lots of roads," he said.

Netizens react:

"Proud to be a Chandigarh citizen," said one user, while another added: "You're walking in the heart of the city, it used to be lively 20 years back, but now it's just building with the government offices around, not so happening anymore. Thanks for visiting Chandigarh, hope you had/have a great time here."

A third commented: "Chandigarh's probably the best place to live in the country, the housing market of the city reflects that (on average more expensive than Mumbai/Delhi). Zoning is heavily regulated. Leads the country in most municipal policy and practices.