travel blue bag By far and away the easiest option is to take a trip organised by a hotel. Most hotels can arrange t

By far and away the easiest option is to take a trip organised by a hotel. Most hotels can arrange trips to the border; one reliable option is the Grand Hotel (p 215 ), which also takes nonguests with advance notice.

Astoria Food Pavillion MULTICUISINE $ (mains 140-325; hnoon-11pm; travel blue bag a) It sounds like a food court, but it is in fact a pleasant multicuisine travel blue bag restaurant near the MK Hotel, cooking up a mishmash of dishes, from chicken Patiala and veg biryani to poached fish and spinach cannelloni. Head upstairs to the sister restaurant, Oka (mains 120 to

202 HARYANA & PUNJAB Chandigarh %0172 / POP 1,064,700 The capital of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh is a Union Territory controlled by the central government. The modernist architect Le Corbusier travel blue bag s radical design for Chandigarh polarises critics, and this anomaly among Indian cities also splits travel blue bag travellers. Some dislike its rather soulless grid and impersonal scale, while others enjoy the city s broad, tree-lined roads, angular sense of order and use of street signs. Although Chandigarh may lack the colour and chaos so typical of subcontinental cities, it does off er a clean and green respite from urban pandemonium, is home to the wonderfully wacky Nek Chand Fantasy Rock Garden, and has some of the state s yummiest places to eat. Chandigarh is divided into a series of sectors that are numbered. travel blue bag The main shopping area is located in Sector 17, while most hotels and restaurants are situated in neighbouring Sectors 22 and 35. The train station is 8km from the city centre. 1 Sights & Activities Capital Complex NOTABLE BUILDINGS The imposing concrete High Court, Secretariat and Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), all in Sector 1 and shared by Punjab and Haryana, were designed by Le Corbusier. The High Court opened in 1955. A visit inside may be possible from Monday travel blue bag to Friday with prior permission from the Chandigarh Tourism offi ce (p 209 ); bring your passport. The internal ramp, the wavy overhanging roof and the colourful supporting slabs are the main features. You can walk around to the symbolic Open Hand sculpture, another creation of the workaholic Le Corbusier. It symbolises an open to give, open to receive message of peace. 66 66 66 666 66 66 66 66 6 6 6 66 66 666 66 66 66 66 66 66 6