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'Hop on Hop Off' double-decker in Chandigarh
by Ashwini Kaushal

          Chandigarh: Touring in Chandigarh has been made more enjoyable with the special 'Hop on Hop Off' double-decker bus. For just a dollar and a few hours, the bus takes the tourist to Sukhna Lake, Punjab University, the Secretariat and marketplaces. "There should be fulsome information available related to tourist destinations in the city. As we have come on a very short visit, our curiosity took us to the Tourist Information Centre. We have been told to board a bus, and in a few hours we would be able to visit the city," said Dr. Anand Kumar, a tourist. Without leaving out any of the tourist spots, the journey also shares Chandigarh history with tourists. "We had to pre-plan very smoothly. So, I went to the website and gained as much information about Chandigarh . But as for history, I didn't get to know much because nothing much was available on the website," said Satvik Jaitley, a tourist. An evening visit to the Museum and Art Gallery Complex to see spectacular musical fountains is a treat. It's a part of the dazzling sound and light show, a 45-minute movie that portrays Chandigarh's inception, its architecture, its people and its culture. "I found the film very nice - the filming, the sound effects and photography. The text of the film is also very nice," said Kulwinder Alhuwalia, a visitor.

          Sitting on a specially designed podium, 150 visitors can witness a display of sound and attractive lighting show. It is held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The show indeed is a storehouse of information on Chandigarh. Brigadier SS Ahluwalia, another visitor said: "I have seen quite a number of sound and light programmes, not only in India, but abroad also. I found this one as well produced. It's a rich experience to know the history, culture and how the city came about from the scratch, what was the conceptualization, how it was planned. It is very important to documented and put it in record." Named after the Goddess of Power, Chandi, Chandigarh was designed by French architect Le Corbusier. It was built between 1950 and 1965. A multi-cultural city, it is acknowledged world-wide for its gardens, a lake and city planning.
-May 31,  2007