Chandigarh’s serene spaces, glorious greenery
“Trees are the poems that earth writes upon the sky,” wrote poet Kahlil Gibran.
I experienced this the other day as we went to Chandigarh via Mahilawali and Panchkula. A right turn from Jagadhri and we were on a picturesque path of lined with trees. The scenic route was dotted with dense vegetation and fields adorned with golden wheat. The colorful benches placed on both sides invited passers-by to sit in the lap of nature. We often stopped on the way to admire the plants. The picture perfect stretches, pageant of peacocks, birds taking flight, landing on trees, the chitter-chatter all added to dawn’s delight like Beethoven playing the symphony. The people, fields, birds, sun, trees all looked enchanting and enlivening.
The cawing of crows, the chirping of birds, squeaking of squirrels echoed in our mind, part of me patting my shoulder for choosing this route rather than the mundane highway. A few kilometres into City Beautiful and we were greeted by the rustling breeze among the tall trees, vibrant and verdant, roundabouts, smiling faces walking in serene spaces. The road that we took to reach our destination was littered with leaves as if flowers in full bloom lose their pride and a natural carpet of rainbow hues spread as we feasted on the green expanse, benign nature showering petals and pearls of blessings in bounty. I felt like surrendering to the earth’s womb, so that we could rise up rooted like trees.
Spring is a season of many hues and shades in Chandigarh .Nature’s bounty brimming with bowing bower suggests that hope has transversed nature’s lap at night and left each morning with brighter traces of her steps. Trees attired in gay garments with a splash of pink, lilac, red and myriad other colours are a painter’s delight. The small birds flitted about and my untrained eyes took some time to figure out their swift movement. With scant traffic on roads and rare trees in abundance, Chandigarh is a rare combination of glitz and grace, serenity and splendour.
Though the place embodies malls, restaurants, offices and affluent urban life in general, yet it looks unpretentious. It is a place that makes a person ponder over blurred division between grandeur of nature and detailed designing of Le Corbusier. Each sector is endowed with evergreen trees, the yellow Amaltas, pink Cassias, mauve Lagestroemias, Gulmohars laden with crimson blossoms.
Rich blooming trees on Dakshin Marg, Uttar Marg, up to Sukhna Lake, leading to the Garden of Silence please the soul and senses. I find in this city houses and trees have independent entities. Many majestic mature trees are the natural heritage of Chandigarh and serve as important green landmarks. Vivacious Leisure Valley with serpentine paths is the perfect place to take long walks. Its serenity and stillness make you sing with Joyce Kilner “Only God can make a tree.”
We had sheer excitement of floating in buoyant moments of ecstasy. Walking along the Sukhna Lake, the narrow path, the calm water, migratory birds, colourful boats, whoops of joy, scattering butterflies were straight from Enid Blyton stories but I missed the pixies and mermaids. I feel the doctor’s ‘watch green therapy for stress’ work wonders in cosy and chic Chandigarh environment. It is a place to learn to live with nature happily and harmoniously with holistic wealth and health. I send up gratitude to people who respect the surrounding for what they are and thank every lovely tree that a human grew for you and me!
THE DOCTOR’S ‘WATCH GREEN THERAPY FOR STRESS’ WORK WONDERS IN COSY AND CHIC CHANDIGARH