At the epicentre of Le Corbusier’s planned city are the imposing concrete High Court , Secretariat and Vidhan Sabha , which are shared by the states of Punjab and Haryana. All three are classic pieces of 1950s architecture from the proto-brutalist school, with bold geometric lines and vast sweeps of moulded concrete. To visit the complex, you must first register, with your passport, at the High Court Tourist Office . You will then be given a free accompanied tour, which lasts for around 1½ hours.
The tour includes a visit to Le Corbusier’s unmistakably mid-century Open Hand sculpture , the city’s official emblem, signifying that the people of Chandigarh are always ‘open to give, open to receive’.
On the approach road to the High Court, the small High Court Museum displays assorted judicial memorabilia including original Le Corbusier sketches, a signed copy of the Indian constitution, and the handcuffs worn by Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin. Like the sculpture, this can be visited unaccompanied.
