Morni Hills Panchkula near Chandigarh

The only hill station of Haryana is an ideal place for picnic and short trips all the year around.

Morni Hills are about and hours distance from Chandigarh (45 Kilometers) winding through hill tracks, forest cover and pine trees, Morni Hills delight with picturesque location.

The place is still unexplored and very picturesque and green with a mixture of hill and plain vegetation in mountainous surroundings.

The village of Morni lies on the mountainside, at 1220 meters or 3600 feet above sea level. Situated in the lower reaches of the Shivalik range, Morni is ideal for a holiday with its cool climate, beautiful natural vistas and myriad opportunities for bird watching, trekking, rock-climbing and other adventure sports.

There are two lakes, which seem to be mysteriously interconnected, even though they are separated by a hillock.

The water level in both the lakes always remains the same, as there is a hidden channel under the hill connecting them. The larger is about 550 meters long and 460 meters broad and the other about 365 meters either way.

Morni has a fascinating range of flora and fauna. Pines crown the hilltops and trees like neem, oak, pipal, jamun, amaltas and jacaranda cover the slopes.

When the flowering trees blossom, the hillsides are awash with color, presenting a delightful sight. Morni is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers with its teeming population of birds like quails,  sand grouse and common doves as well as animals like jackals, hyenas, sambhars and even a jungle cat or two.

Location

45 kms from Chandigarh near Panchkula, Haryana. One hour journey. Not on the main highway

Accessibility

Limited bus Services, taxi or self driven vehicle is the best way to reach this place.

Activity

Boating, trekking bird watching, leisure forest walks.

Pinjore Garden Chandigarh

Chandigarh,  is surrounded by numerous beautiful places that serve as ideal destinations for excursions. The Pinjore Garden is one of those  places that has emerged as an important tourist attraction that one can visit when on a holiday to this city or is going towards from Chandigarh to Shimla.

Chandigarh Pinjore Gardens, also called Yadavindra Gardens are 20 km from Chandigarh, 15 km from Panchkula, on the Chandigarh Shimla national highway number 21. Taxis and buses ply regularly between Pinjore, Kalka, Panchkula and Chandigarh.

The fascinating Mughal Garden (now popularly called Pinjore Garden) cover a total area of 100 acres. A mini zoo, plants nursery, a Japanese garden, historic palaces and picnic lawns await tourists. Especially at weekends, fountains are switched on and after dusk, lights pick up the beauty of the palaces by night.

Nawab Fadai Khan, a great architect and foster brother of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is said to have designed the idyllic gardens. He planned the Gardens on the classical Charbagh pattern, giving the area a central water way. Both sides of this waterway were covered with patches of green bordered with flowers and shaded by trees. He supervised the construction of the stylistic Sheesh Mahal (palace of glass), the Rang Mahal (painted palace), and the cube-like Jal Mahal (palace of water).

Like other Mughal gardens, this one also has a sloping ground and is decorated with fountains and grand and beautiful pavilions. There is a channel of water in the middle of the garden. The fountains are located inside this channel of water. There are walkways located on both sides of the channel.

Lined with huge trees and a stretch of green grass, these walkways add to the beauty, charm and elegance of the Pinjore Garden. If you walk straight down, you will arrive at a huge pavilion, which offers marvelous view of the entire garden. The pavilion also has a terrace with a water body located in the center.
Special programs are arranged at the Yadavindra Gardens for the Baisakhi (spring) festival in April and for the Mango Festival in June and July. The gardens have cool, shady walks and flagged pathways which run to the outer reaches of the creeper-covered walls. The end structure of the doorway has recently been made into a disc-like open-air theatre.

Location

Chandigarh Shimla highway, 20 kms from Chandigarh at Pinjore, Haryana

Accessibility

Bus Services, Cabs – Easily reachable by road.

Visit Timings

7:00 AM to 10 PM. *Timings are subject to vary.

Garden Ticket Fee

Rs 20 per person. The Garden Fee is subject to change.

Chhatbir Zoo Chandigarh

Also known as the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, Chhatbir zoo, the distinguished zoological garden is  located at a distance of 17 km from Chandigarh and 55 km from Patiala. The  zoo sprawls across an expanse of 202 acres against a stunning green backdrop.

It is indeed a marvel to see how acres of raw scrubland have been transformed into a wonderful home for wild animals. The zoo paints a magnificent picture of the underlying ecological harmony that enhances the charm of the beautiful surroundings. The animals are kept in open enclosures so that their behavioral and physical needs can be met akin to their natural habitat | Chhatbir zoo photos

The main attraction of the Chhatbir zoo Chandigarh is the Royal Bengal Tiger, which has developed into the perfect point of interest for visiting the zoo. Visitors are taken in a caged motor vehicle to the tiger’s refuge to savor its attractions. While traveling inside the tiger’s refuge, the visitors can enjoy close ups of this magnificent animal.

[adsense-codesquare]The Chandigarh zoo’s prized possessions are its eighty species of rare animals and variegated birds, dappled in a multitude of colors as well as fish and reptiles. The Chhatbir zoo Chandigarh officials go great lengths to keep the animals in an enclosure that closely resembles their natural habitat. The animals reside in large moats, surrounded by greenery and present an island like ambience | Chhatbir zoo photos

The Chhatbir Zoo is the perfect place for picnic as it also has a water body and large wooded parks and jungle area. Children come here for a fun-filled day and also learn a lot about the different animals by carrying out research on them. During the winters the rush increases due to pleasant climate during the daytime. Many zoologists also visit the Chandigarh zoo for carrying out research on various species of life.

Zoo Residents

The Chhatbir zoo has about 950 animals and birds belonging to about 85 species housed in about 100 enclosures (animal houses). Most of the zoo animals are either from other zoos or are born here | Chhatbir zoo photos

Visiting Days / timings: The Chandigarh zoo is open six days a week. It is closed on Monday.

Zoo Hours : 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM

Zoo Holidays: 15th August, 2nd October & 26th January.

Refreshment Options: Restaurant, Canteen, Ice Cream Parlor

Ticket rates

Children between 3-12 years age Rs 5 each

Above 12 years and adults Rs 20 each | Zoo excursion in battery operated vehicle Rs. 50 per head (one hour) | Tiger Safari Rs. 50 per head (30 minutes)

Private Vehicles are not allowed inside the zoo.

Contact telephone Numbers: 01762-286303

Address Chhatbir Zoo, Village Chhat, District Mohali, Punjab

Rock Garden Chandigarh

This sprawling amusement kingdom has been made completely from waste materials, industrial waste and thrown-away items, Created by celebrated artist Nek Chand, the garden highlights the value of materials many people consider trash.

Spread in an area of about 25 acres set in large mosaic courtyards linked by walled paths and deep gorges the garden is built by transforming into art, discarded tube lights, rusting oil drums, broken tiles, shattered china and sanitary ware, glass bangles, unused building material, discarded street lights, burnt bricks, electrical fittings and wires, caps from bottles, bicycle handle bars, and other scrap.

The Rock Garden Chandigarh is designed to look like a lost kingdom. Doorways and archways constructed out of discarded bags of cement seem to characterize the theme, and the scale is larger than life. The rock garden is a complex labyrinth, with paths, gateways, steps, waterfalls, courtyards, porches and buildings. Much of the material that the Rock Garden is made out of is concrete and found objects.

The rock garden proceeds in a chronological order of its creation, and in the unfolding shows the process of creation. Starting with a few natural forms and found objects like misshapen rocks, to minor landscape modification finally leading to a large scale architectural environment.

In the second phase Nek Chand created open courtyards, pathways decorated with sculptures, complete with the king’s and queen’s chambers. A large waterfall, a canal, an open air theatre, a miniature village was also included. These architectural spaces have become an interactive space, where plays, dance and music performances are held.

In the third and probably the final phase of development life sized horses and camels are being made again out of waste.

At least 5,000 sculptures are viewed by the same number of visitors each day.

The Chandigarh Rock Garden is now acknowledged as one of the modern wonders of the world.

Chandigarh Rock Garden Address

The Rock Garden of Chandigarh
Sector No.1, Chandigarh, India
Tel: +91 172 740 645

Chandigarh Rock Garden Timings

Summer opening hours
(1st April to 30th September)
9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Winter opening hours
(1st October to 31st March)
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Chandigarh Rock Garden Holidays

The rock garden is open all seven days of a week. Entry prices are Rs. 5 for adults and Rs. 3 for children.