Dr. Ambedkar institute of hotel management

Event Name : Excursion to UNESCO World Heritage site. Chandigarh Capitol Complex

Posted On : 02 May 2023

Description :-

Indiatourism Chandigarh organized a day excursion for the Yuva Tourism Club Students of Dr. Ambedkar Institute of hotel management, to the ‘Capitol Complex’ which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour covered the area of Capitol Complex spread over an area of around 100 acres and is a prime manifestation of Chandigarh's architecture. It comprises three buildings: the Palace of Assembly or Legislative Assembly, Secretariat Building and the High Court plus four monuments Open Hand Monument, Tower of Shadows, Geometric Hill and the Martyrs Monument. The tour was a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn about the modern history of Chandigarh as it is one of the most monumental Architectural compositions of modern architecture by Le Corbusier arising out of unique geo-political and cultural setting. The students were able to explore the Open Hand Monument which is a symbolic structure designed by the architect Le Corbusier and is the emblem and symbol of the Government of Chandigarh and symbolizes "the hand to give and the hand to take, peace and prosperity, and the unity of mankind". The Open Hand sculptures, which stands 26 metres (85 ft.) high. The metal structure with vanes is 14 meters (46 ft.) high, weighs 50 short tons (100,000 lb.), and was designed to rotate in the wind. The Tower of Shadows, Le Corbusier constructed it in such a way that not a single ray of sun enters it from any angle. The north side of this tower remains open because the sun never shines from this direction. Le Corbusier used the same principle for other Capitol Complex buildings as well. These 'monuments' including the Open Hand, Martyr's Memorial, Geometric hill, Tower of Shades, '24 Solar hours' and have reliefs on raw exposed concrete. The most prominent and visible of these is the 85 feet high Open Hand soaring in the sky, silhouetted against the resplendent backdrop of the timeless Himalayas. Overall, the tour of Capitol Complex was an enriching experience for the students.