Photographers and painters never tire of capturing the setting sun, or the heavily clouded monsoon sky, or the early morning mist captured with the rising winter sun against the tranquillity of the lake. Even anglers do not leave unrewarded.The Sukhna Lake attracts migratory birds from places/lands as far as Siberia and elsewhere.

Smriti Upavan Sector 1 Open all days:Smriti means “remembrance” and Upavan means “forest”. This is a forest where every tree commemorates someone who is no more.

Terraced Garden Sector 33:Open all daysThis colourful 10-acre garden is the venue of the annual Chrysanthemum Show in December.

Topiary Park:Sector 35Open all days Wire frames and the deft use of pruning shears has transformed creepers and bushes into animal and bird figures.Chandigarh celebrates its gardens and their myriad varieties of flowers with a Festival of Gardens in late-February or early-March.

Government Museum Open from 10 a.m. to 4.40 p.m. All days except Mondays and official holidaysThe museum has a rich collection of miniature paintings of the Gandhara and Pahari schools as also master pieces of contemorary artists of India, including graphics.The building, erected on columns, is itself a work of art providing a natural canopy roof for the ground space. This space serves as display area for large antique sculptures, besides providing a useful semi-open area for accommodating large numbers during exhibitions, inaugurations and lectures.

Art Gallery Across the large expanse of paved space and not far from the Museum was the Art Gallery, referred to as the “Pavillion of Temporary Exhibitions”. The buildings of both the museum and the art gallery were realised after the death of Le Corbusier, but strictly according to his designs. This Pavillion was intended as a facility for exhibitions of individual artists.

However, since this function was being more than adequately looked after by the Art Gallery within the Government Museum, supplemented by the Art Gallery in the College of Arts, this building, became somewhat neglected. Its design and location made it an obvious choice for the City Museum.

City Museum Open from 10.a.m. to 4.30 p.m. All days except Monday and official holidaysThe creation of the City museum Chandigarh is one of the several activities pursued by the UT Administration during the fiftieth anniversary of India’s independence. The objective was to document and display the sequential planning that went into this unique urban experiment, and to bring out the distinctive and significant aspects of its lay-out and design.

The history, planning and architecture of Chandigarh is brought together in this display of valuable archival material containing original documents, notes and sketches together with maps, photographs, plans and models of important buildings.

Audio-visual techniques and music are employed to provide more effective participation for the viewer. Students, professionals, visitors, tourists as well as residents continue to enjoy as well as be educated by their journey through the City Museum. Free guided tours as well as special guided tours on nominal charges are provided on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.

Science Museum :This has a cyclorama display presenting the evolution of life from the unicellular organism to its present state of biological diversity.

Theatres and Art Galleries Chandigarh does not lack in theatres either. In Sector 1 alone, the Rock Garden has three open air theatres. The monument of the Open Hand rises from an amphitheatre which provides a dramatic setting for exclusive performances. The Government Museum in the Cultural Complex has an auditorium.