ROCK GARDEN- PRIDE OR SHAME

For people in and around Chandigarh Rock Garden needs no introduction. It has grown out of a secret hobby of a man who was self driven to create sculpture out of waste materials. It is a pure example of Art for Art’s sake. Luckily the people in power at that time recognized the art and gave a platform to the rare creativity of Nek Chand. Now people of Chandigarh are proud to call this monument their own and show visitors around with pride. Often mentioning the recognization Nek Chand has received around the world and the Rock Gardens he has created in other countries.

However, as it is with other monuments in India, degeneration has crept in here also. The sculptures are chipped and need repairs badly. This is especially evident in the earliest phase of the Rock Garden. It presents a sad picture to see the sculptures made out of bangles so dull and broken. Even more than that, it is sad to see the whole of Rock Garden littered with wrappers and trash. In the early days, there were vigilant workers posted on the walls of the garden who would rebuke a person trying to touch the sculptures or litter the garden. These people are no longer there, and the garden has fallen into ruin.

There was graffiti on some of the walls, trash on the ground all around the garden. But the worst hit was the waterfall area with its beautiful theatre. The water had a manky smell, and where the water gathered, there was a thick green layer of moss. Even the wall underneath the waterfall was covered with a thick layer of moss. The visitors to the garden were oblivious to keeping the environment clean and were happily throwing wrapper of their chips packets and juice cartons here and there.

Even in the Phase III of the garden, with its beautiful mosaic seats and swings, there was trash all around. The air was a little cleaner than the stuffy atmosphere of the waterfall area, but no one seemed a least bit bothered about adding to the trash.

There are web-sites on the Rock Garden and Nek Chand, extolling his marvellous creativity, calling the garden a modern wonder, and next only to the Taj Mahal as a tourist attraction. Alas, though Nek Chand is still alive, his monument is dying and needs to be seriously resurrected if it is to retain its place as the pride of Chandigarh and India.