At one time Punjab became a state without a capital. Though
there was a temporary secretariat at Simla in Himachal, the political leaders
grew anxious. A capital had to be formed. This responsibility was given to the
French architect La Corbousier. With the help of brother Pierre Jinert, the
English couple Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, as well as a number of Indian
architects, Chandigarh, the present capital, came into being at the foot of the
Sivalik Hills, running parallel to the Himalayas.
It was built in 1953 and although the capital of two states, it is
administered by the Central Government, Since 1986 there has been talk about
including it in Punjab on the basis of language. Its altitude is 1150 ft. and
its area is 114 sq. kms. The
