To make Capitol Complex more accessible and tourist friendly, the UT Administration on Friday opened a Tourist Information Centre (TIC) at the Complex, Sector 1 here.
The Centre will provide information to tourists and act as a single window to issue permits to domestic and foreign tourists. The visitors will also be able to hire tourist guides trained by the UT Tourism Department to take a tour of the Capitol complex, buy souvenirs of Chandigarh, watch films on the other tourist attractions in the city, use clean public conveniences and also avail locker facility.
Chandigarh tourist police will also extend assistance to the tourists as and when needed. KK Sharma, Adviser to UT Administrator inaugurated the Tourist Information Centre set up at the Capitol Complex on Friday. He said, “The TIC is a tribute to the philosophy of le Corbusier and a salute to our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for gifting us the city and the Capitol Complex that ushered in a technological modern movement in India”.
He added that the modern city of Chandigarh deserved a modern and updated centre like this. The information centre has been located prominently and strategically, and tourists can easily access the Capitol Complex, Rock garden and the Sukhna lake from here.
Giving details about TIC, UT chief architect Sumit Kaur said, “The TIC building has been designed by MN Sharma, former UT chief architect and an eminent member of team of city’s creator French architect le Corbusier. The Tourist Information Centre epitomizes cubic geometry based on the principles of modern movement and carries forward the legacy of the le Corbusier. The terrace of the TIC is based on the concept of a roof garden - one of five points of architecture envisaged by le Corbusier.
“Exposed concrete is moulded to a sculptural form in this design composition and the four façades are a skillful demonstration of pattern making in form. The punctures of solid and void are overlaid on an envelope of rectilinear geometry. The interior of the building demonstrates optimum space utilization for designated functions with spatial overlaps and fluidity. The terrace of the TIC is based on the concept of a Roof Garden - one of Five Points of architecture envisaged by le Corbusier,” she said.
In the evening, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul visited the Information Centre and launched new brochures on the edifices of the Capitol Complex. later, a presentation was shown about the status of Chandigarh’s nomination of Capitol Complex for the prestigious ‘world heritage site’ status as a part of the transnational nomination of the works of le-Corbusier, to be submitted to UNESCO shortly.
The UT Administration on Friday also flagged off environment friendly battery operated tourist carts that will ply along Sukhna lake and Rock Garden without adding to vehicular traffic and pollution. The Sukhna lake and Rock Garden are famous attractions in the city and draw in large number of foreign and domestic tourists’ everyday. The move to ply battery operated vehicles for tourists is aimed at ensuring pollution free and noise free environment around these two far-famed tourist spots in Chandigarh.
