Rock Garden Chandigarh, Stunning Creation of Nek Chand
The story of how Nek Chand created Art from Trash is more relevant today than ever before. Rock Garden of Chandigarh, an amazing creation by Nek Chand, is an ideal place to learn the lessons of how to recycle, reuse and recreate things of beauty from trash. Nek Chand Rock Garden is a must visit if you are ever there.
Nek Chand Rock Garden is famous for its unique concept. The Garden is a one-of-a-kind sculpture garden created entirely from industrial and urban waste materials. Nek Chand’s creativity blossomed here. It showcases the creativity and ingenuity of its creator. He transformed discarded items into intricate sculptures and artwork.
How Nek Chand created Rock Garden?
Nek Chand’s family moved into Chandigarh, India from Pakistan during partition in 1947. He was 23 years old then. Nek Chand soon found work there as a roads’ inspector for the Public Works Department in 1951. During this time 1950 – 1960, Chandigarh was going through a massive architecture makeover under the expert guidance of Le Carbusier.
Nek Chand during his spare time used to collect discarded materials, stones and debris from villages demolished for making the city of Chandigarh. This was in 1958. When space within his house fell short for the collected materials he chose a gorge in a forest near Sukhna Lake. The gorge was designated as a land conservancy, a forest buffer established in 1902 where absolutely nothing could be built on. Here he began creating his works of art from trash.
Secret Work of Nek Chand
This was illegal. Luckily he was able to hide it for good 18 years before it was discovered by the authorities in 1975. It was an amazing discovery of 2000 statues in 13 acres complex of interlinked courtyards by government authorities. The once barren land now filled with hundreds of pottery-covered concrete sculptures of dancers, musicians, birds and animals.
How Nek Chand created Art from Trash
He recycled materials collected from waste scattered in the city. Nek Chand’s process of creation was by building up the mass with a cement and sand mix. On that he added a final coat of smooth pure cement. On this made the final designs with waste materials such as broken glass bangles, crockery, mosaic chips and iron foundry slag.
Initially he was threatened with dire consequences for alleged ‘misuse’ of government land. But by 1976 he could garner enough support from public for his work.
Rock Garden of Chandigarh
Once approved by government the garden area expanded to Phase II. Spread over 25 acres, Nek Chand Rock Garden is the biggest rock garden of India. The garden has several thousand sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards linked by walled paths and deep gorges, Nek Chand’s creations combine huge buildings with a series of interlinking waterfalls.
It can easily take 3 to 4 hours to cover the entire rock garden. Luckily the day I visited the sky was clear and I got good back ground for my pictures.
Art created out of broken bangles
Can you guess what materials Nek Chand used to create this dream rock garden? Walking through the different exhibits I was stunned to see the creations were made from discarded objects like broken crockery, electrical fittings, broken ceramic tiles, glass bangles and bicycle frames.
These birds are made from broken ceramic cutlery. Not only birds, there are animals and human forms made of such waste materials.
Nek Chand ROCK GARDEN Chandigarh India
About Nek Chand
So, who is Nek Chand? Nek Chand Saini was a self-taught India artist.
Before he became famous, he was regular office goer. He was a road inspector in a construction project in Chandigarh. But that was during the day. At night he would turn into a passionate artist working with thrown-away items. His canvas was the 20 acres state-owned forest. He would cycle his way there to the forest, and in the forest unseen from the world he would single handedly clear patches of thick growth and install his art work created with discarded materials. This went on for 18 years.
“All the stones have a soul,” he explains. “They are alive. I brought them here myself, one by one, on my bike. The stones are like Gods and Goddesses: there is life in them. Whenever I look at them or pass them, they touch my heart.” Not just rocks, he brought in all the discarded items single-handedly to the park and created wonders out of them.
He spent his early years in a village called Barian Kalan which is now a part of Pakistan. After the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, Nek Chand along with his family fled his village and trekked for 24 days on foot and settled in Chandigarh.
Rock Garden Timings and Tickets
Rock Garden Chandigarh Timings – Open everyday. During summers – 9AM to 7PM. During winter – 9AM to 6 PM.
When I visited the tickets cost just 5Rs. for adults and 3Rs. for children.
Location of Nek Chand Rock Garden
Rock garden of Chandigarh is located 12 km by road from Chandigarh airport. It is 8 km from Chandigarh Railway station.
Conclusion
I visited this Nek Chand Rock Garden with a friend in May 2013. While I visited this garden just out of curiosity what I got to see there was beyond my wild imaginations.
Indeed Nek Chand was a great man to have created so much art. He laid the lessons of how to recreate art with waste. Nek Chand passed away on 12th June 2015.
This post was first written on April 14 2015.
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Stunning creativity!
Never heard about him, very much creative person he was and intellectual also, hiding for 18 years is not an easy task.
Loved his concept and creations.
Art from waste is so not valued but when you see this it surely inspires me to use all that stuff I have been saving up. I am not an artist but some little project for school can surely be done. Thank you for the motivation.
That looks like a really fun place! I love the great sculptures.
These are wonderful and make me smile!
Wonderful statues!
Excellent captures Indrani..!
Now THAT is a place I would not miss when in your area again.
nice creations
That guy, Nek Chand, was a rare genius.
Beautiful pictures! Its my favourite place too. I am mesmerized to see where a man's coviction can lead him to! Simply amazing!
amazing pieces of art
I have heard about this place and seen in movies… Beautiful shots
Loved the creativity executed out of waste…
Must visit place… nice pictures. I have been there couple of times and everytime it amazes me about the creative mind of the creator.
Must visit place… nice pictures.
Nice pictures..I wish I'ld get a live view of this in near future 🙂
During my Delhi Visit, I had missed an opportunity of going to Chandigarh. These pictures look so desirable. Am sad!
My detail post on Chandgarh , Panchkula & Pinjore is ready…..will publish by next week.
Really…a rocking garden.:)
What an art! I'm amazed at the skills of man !
What a cool place. I love these shots. Very whimsical.
Very cool rock sculptures! And the sky looks beautiful. Great shots! Have a happy weekend!
Truly amazing Indrani!
wow!!
this is so neat statuettes ! nice capture 🙂
Excellent statuettes, well taken Indrani.
This is so neat. Your photos are wonderful.
he was a genius…not given due international recognition
Lovely captures of such a unique place!
Unique work of art.
Cool! I would love to visit and see these sculptures! Thanks for sharing~
The garden is indeed very beautiful and all creations are worth viewing . It is amazing to see what masterpieces of art can be created from mundane objects , and reading your post brought back memories of the time I had visited this beautiful place as an art student 🙂
Nice art. Has it something to do with the le Corbusier buildings?
I have visited this place It has been painstakingly and artistically created
What a work ! they look very original !
Wow, these are fun.
How interesting.
Oh, they are indeed!! Great shots for the day, Indrani!! Hope you and your family have a lovely weekend!!
very interesting. photo lovers must love to spend time there, i'm sure there's plenty to occupy their time and their lenses.
what neat creations!