New Delhi: A wall surrounding the iconic Rock Garden has been demolished by the Chandigarh administration for a road widening and parking project. The decision has already caused public outcry over the past month, which is now growing louder.
The demolition began on February 22, Hindustan Times reported, but was progressing slowly. However, the demolition was completed on the intervening night between March 8 and March 9 for a road widening and parking project, causing massive public outcry.
As per the union territory administration, the wall was built to enclose the adjacent forested land and was not part of the garden designed by Nek Chand Saini.
However, residents of Chandigarh have been protesting against the demolition order for several weeks, raising concerns that any alterations to the site, in the name of infrastructural development, should not be allowed.
Volunteers of ‘Saving Chandigarh’, a group formed in March to save the Rock Garden wall, who have been engaged in protests also conducted a ‘Chipko Movement’ to stop the demolition.
According to a report by The Indian Express, they expressed displeasure over the midnight action and pointed out that there were major discrepancies in the drawings issued by the department of environment and the actual work being done on site.
Author-activist Gurmehar Kaur, who also joined the protest, posted on Instagram, expressing her displeasure over the demolition. “They’re tearing it apart. A wall demolished, 50 trees cut down. All in the name of “development.” But at what cost? Was this really the only way? Couldn’t we have found a solution that didn’t erase a part of our history?” she wrote.
The Rock Garden of Chandigarh was founded by Nek Chand in 1957, when he was a government official. He had begun the project in secrecy during his free time using discarded materials that he collected from demolition sites in post-independence India, turning waste into art.
The garden, initially built in a 5-acre forested area, was later expanded as it became a cultural symbol.
Nek Chand’s Granddaughter issues open letter
In a letter to the prime minister, Priyanka Saini, the granddaughter of Nek Chand, said that the demolition has caused an “irreversible damage” upon the heritage site.
“I speak not just as his family but as a citizen deeply disturbed by the destruction, negligence, and irreversible damage being inflicted upon this treasure. The very creation that put Chandigarh on the world map is being dismantled,” she wrote.
She also mentioned how The Economist ranked it as India’s second most visited site after the Taj Mahal.
“Prime Minister Modi Ji, when you invited the former French President Francois Hollande to Chandigarh in 2016, you brought him to Rock Garden to showcase the beauty and creativity of India. You walked through its archways, knowing its worth, knowing its significance. The very gate you entered that day is now gone. Torn down to make way for a parking lot,” she wrote in the letter.
Read the full letter below:
To,
The Honorable Prime Minister of India,
The Government of India,
Our Respected Nation,
I write to you as Priyanka Saini, the granddaughter of Padma Shri awardee Nek Chand Saini, the visionary behind Chandigarh’s Rock Garden, a masterpiece of sustainability, creativity, and heritage. Today, I speak not just as his family but as a citizen deeply disturbed by the destruction, negligence, and irreversible damage being inflicted upon this treasure. The very creation that put Chandigarh on the world map is being dismantled.
The Problem at Hand
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- A part of the Rock Garden’s wall that was built by Nek Chand Ji himself has already been torn down quietly in the dark last night, erasing history that can’t be rebuilt the same way.
- Essential materials stored for preserving Nek Chand Ji’s work have been discarded as waste, destroying the very foundation of its restoration process.
- Decades-old trees, part of the Rock Garden’s ecosystem, are being felled in the name of expansion.
- The Rock Garden Society is currently managed by Chandigarh administration members, with no representation from Nek Chand’s family & others who truly understand and care about its preservation.
Why This Matters
Nek Chand Ji dedicated 57 years of his life in building the artistic marvel that it is today.
The Rock Garden attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually, generating ₹2-3 crore in profit per year.
The Economist has ranked it as India’s second most visited site after the Taj Mahal.
Before sustainability became a movement, Nek Chand Ji showed the world how discarded waste could be transformed into art back in 1958.
Destroying his work is a disservice to India’s legacy of innovation and environmental consciousness.
Prime Minister Modi Ji, when you invited the former French President Francois Hollande to Chandigarh in 2016, you brought him to Rock Garden to showcase the beauty and creativity of India. You walked through its archways, knowing its worth, knowing its significance.
The very gate you entered that day is now gone. Torn down to make way for a parking lot.
That same Rock Garden, which stood as a symbol of India’s innovation and artistic spirit, is now being quietly dismantled, piece by piece.
Our Urgent Request
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- No more demolition, no further harm to the Rock Garden’s sculptures, courtyards, and structures.
- Restore and protect damaged sculptures and infrastructure using the original vision of recycled materials.
- Immediately halt the cutting of trees within the Rock Garden. Further destruction must stop now.
- Restructure the Rock Garden Society to include the Nek Chand’s family & others, who deeply understand its history and significance, ensuring decisions are made with preservation in mind.
Prime Minister Ji, if we do not act now, we risk losing an irreplaceable piece of India’s history, art, and environmental ingenuity.
If Nek Chand Ji were alive today, he would have fought for his life’s work and so will we. The people of Chandigarh, my family, and heritage lovers across India will not stand by and let this happen.
We stood for Rock Garden in 1989. We stand for it again today.
I humbly and respectfully request immediate intervention before it is too late.
Sincerely,
Priyanka Saini
