You Cannot Afford to Miss Chandigarh in Winters

[Shruti Sharma]

Here come the winters. A bitter cold wave sweeps across the northern belt and it is time to curl up near the heaters and swath yourself in layers of woollens. There is one city, though, which dons its very best in these winter months and life itself becomes one long celebration – Chandigarh.

Chandigarh has a simple philosophy. Winters are meant for the simplest but most profound pleasures. Getting dressed in the trendiest clothes, well cut suits, sturdy booths, thick and rustling silks, and stylish jackets - making winter clothing all about style and sophistication is what the people of Chandigarh believe in. Markets like Sector 17 and Elante Mall are just the places to pick out the season's best designer labels.

Hotel rooms in Chandigarh fill in with visitors who pour in to celebrate the winter season with rave parties and bonfires. Come Christmas the streets are decked up with bright stars and angels and Christmas trees. This is the time you must try out on of the amazing bakeries in town and gorge on all the rum cakes, brownies, cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate you can. And then come the fabulous New Year parties. Kitty Su, Score, Peddlers, and all the jazzy clubs are decked up and ready for the rave parties with good food and great music. 

Whatever you do, do not miss out on the sheer variety of culinary delights that Chandigarh restaurants serve up in winters. This is the best time for the classic "makki di roti and sarson da saag". Head straight to the famed Pal Dhaba or other local restaurants that serve your meal with a hearty helping of butter. If it is fine dining you're into head to the Baluch or the Black Lotus - again great places to find scrumptious food. Winter is the time for fresh produce and Chandigarh sure knows how to take advantage of this. If you're in the mood for some desserts get straight to Sindhi Sweets or any of the numerous sweet shops to try the hot gajar ka halwa or jalebi with rabdi.

The one thing that makes winters come alive in Chandigarh, though, is the international rose festival. Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is literally a riot of colours with about 1600 different kinds of roses all abloom. The annual rose festival is a great tourist draw and Chandigarh hotels offer deals and attractive packages during the festival. In recent times Pawan Hans helicopters have also been made available for tourists to get a bird’s eye view of the garden. This is not all. Chandigarh is the city of gardens and each of these is abloom with bright, beautiful blooms through winter. This is certainly not a city to be missed this winter season.