Rose Garden, Chandigarh

The Zakhir Hussein Rose Garden is a 30 acre botanical garden in the city of Chandigarh. Home to 50000 Rose bushes spread over 1600 species; it is Asia’s largest Rose Garden. The Rose Garden also plays host to the Annual Festival of Flowers held in March every year. The best time to visit the Rose Garden is during this festival when prizes are awarded for photography, gardening, landscaping, and bonsai.

Reaching Rose Garden, Chandigarh

The Rose Garden is located Sector16 of Chandigarh. It is easily accessible by Taxi, Bus and Rickshaw.

Brief History of Rose Garden, Chandigarh

The Rose Garden is named after Zakhir Hussein, former President of India. It was created in 1967 by M S Randhawa, the first Chief Commissionaire of Chandigarh and a Horticulturalist.

Rose Garden, Chandigarh

The Rose Garden is spread over 30 Acres and features 1600 species of Roses. There are more than 50000 Roses in the Garden. Some of them have been named after Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, former US president John F. Kennedy, former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and M.S. Randhawa the creator of Rose Garden.

Some of the other Roses you can see here are Only You, Dulhan, King’s Ransom, Hippie Girl, Love Me Tender, Careless Love, Lover’s Meeting, Delhi Prince, Oklahoma, American Heritage, Louisiana, Canadian Centenary, City of Belfast, Wild Plum and Dorothy Peach!  Beyond Roses, there are many shrubs, medicinal plants and climbers in the Rose Garden.

There are several medicinal plants in the Rose Garden. Some of the prominent ones are Bel, Bahera, Harar, Camphor and Yellow Gulmohar.The Rose Garden also has fountains, a children’s corner and swings.

Rose Festival

Every Year, Rose Garden plays host to the immensely popular Rose Festival in Feb-March. More than 300,000 people come to visit the Rose Garden during this period.  Contests held during the Rose Festival are very popular with the audiences. Prizes are in the offing for Rose Prince and Rose Princess, Brass & Pipe Band, Photography, Gardening, Landscaping, and Bonsai. Local Artists land up at the Rose Garden from nearby areas and put up exhibitions. Flower Cutting and Flower arrangement contest are also organized between participants as well as the audience. Concerts, musical nights, comedy shows, ‘antakshri’ and food streets entertain the visitors held during this period.

Shanti Kunj

Shanti Kunj is another beautiful Garden located on the opposite side of the road where Rose Garden is located. Other than beautiful flowers, it also has a decorated Rain Drain and a neat walking path.

Shanti Kunj as per its name is a great place for finding some tranquility in the middle of the bustling city of Chandigarh.

For my travelogues on other weekend getaways from Chandigarh, visit Holiday Ideas near Chandigarh

For weekend getaways from Delhi, visit Holiday ideas near Delhi