Capital of Punjab: Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a union territory and planned city in northern India it serves as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh is a combination of the words Chandi and Garh. Chandi is the name of the Hindu deity Chandi, and Garh is the word for fort. The name comes from Chandi Mandir, a historic temple situated in Panchkula District.

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Chandigarh: Capital of Punjab

Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab as well as Haryana. After Haryana and Punjab were separated into two states in 1966, both wanted Chandigarh as their capital. The Central Government designated Chandigarh as a union territory and chose to designate it as the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab.

• Chandigarh is one of the earliest planned cities in post-independence India.
• It serves as the shared capital of the surrounding states of Punjab and Haryana.
• Chandigarh is situated near the foothills of the Himalayas.
• The master plan for Chandigarh was created by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.
• It has one of the highest Human Development Indexes among Indian states and territories.
• English is the only official language of Chandigarh.
• It has been rated as one of the "Wealthiest Towns" of India.

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Demographics of Chandigarh

Chandigarh has a prehistoric history, with evidence of Harappan settlements in the region. It was designed in 1948 to serve as the capital of the newly formed state of East Punjab following India's partition.

The table below shows the different demographic aspects of Chandigarh as per the last census of 2011.

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Punjab Facts

Punjab is a state in northwestern India, known for its rich agricultural heritage and cultural diversity.

• Punjab is bordered by Pakistan's Punjab province in the west.
• Punjab has 23 districts.
• The state of Punjab takes its name from the five rivers that flow through it. 'Panj' indicates five, while 'ab' means water.
• The rivers' names are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
• The ancient Indus Valley civilization flourished in the Punjab region.
• Punjab is home to the first planned city of India Chandigarh.
• The Golden Temple in Amritsar is the most visited tourist place in the world.

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Economy of Punjab

Punjab's economy is primarily agriculture-based, with wheat, rice, cotton, and sugarcane being the major crops.

• Punjab is known as the "Granary of India".
• It produces a significant portion of India's total wheat, rice, and cotton output.
• Punjab produces about 20 percent of the wheat consumed in India.
• Punjab ranked 1 in terms of GDP per capita in 1981.