Chandigarh Urban Festival: From Isolation to Togetherness

There are intellectuals, like-minded individuals, and community-conscious people in the Tricity who want to do something for the city and have a bagful of ideas that are people-centric and not person-centric.

One such venture beginning Dec 16 is the Chandigarh Urban Festival CUF 22 which believes in the collective participation of people, administration, senior citizens, children, professionals, industrialists, the common man … everyone.

The week-long festival is meant to celebrate togetherness and love. City Beautiful Chandigarh- Apna Shehar Apna Jashan is the event which will take you through various cultural and sports activities that reflect the true nature of Chandigarhians. Watch the event live here:

“The aim is to create a lively and vibrant atmosphere in a responsible manner,” says Shilpa Das, a Tricity-based leading architect and one of the founding members of CUF. There is a core group of 15 people including advocates, doctors, and industrialists, and a great support system of volunteers, NGOs, schools, which work in tandem to take forward the historic legacy of Chandigarh.

Not just a week-long affair, the CUF works around the year working on its sector-to-neighbourhood initiative in which people communicate and interact with each other with the help of some fun activities, and competitions, in their sectors, and competitions are held between residents of different sectors too. “Our contribution includes upgrading green spaces for creating social infrastructure where people can catch up and interact, form activity based groups like sports, weekend rituals, etc which are based on common interests and so are more meaningful . We just act as catalysts for bringing people together through these activity groups,” says Das.

Into the fifth year, CUF ‘s ‘City Celebration’ part includes Apna Shehar, Apna Jashan which is being celebrated from Dec 16-18 and everybody is invited to the Capitol Complex and plaza in Sector 1, Chandigarh.

The third part of the Chandigarh Urban Festival is the ‘Process of Chandigarh’ which is an academic exercise where activists, politicians, retired officers, NGO heads, academicia brainstorm to find ways and means to create common public opinion.

“The whole exercise is easier said than done, the idea to bring everybody together is much bigger tahn joust a part, doesn’t happen naturally, you have to get people out of their comfort zones, generate awareness and it’s a small step at a time,” says Das. “It is a celebration of the human spirit, human contact is the main thing. That is why the theme this year is ‘Unlocking hope of life, happiness, togetherness, freedom, and balance,” she says.

CUF 22 events which are held throughout the year are being organized by the residents (RWAs), educational institutes, corporates, NGOs, and regional, cultural & sports clubs/ groups, etc. with support from Chandigarh Administration. ACT! Chandigarh Society and Chandigarh Tourism Department are also a part of the endeavour.

Day 1 of CUF 22

Chandigarh Urban Festival express CUF 22 chugged along despite hurdles. The organically growing annual event was inaugurated by Secretary Tourism, Hargunjit, in the presence of prominent citizens, senior citizens, students and members of community at the Tourism Information Centre, Sector 1.

Folk orchestra, Xylophone performance by GMHS Manimajra, patriotic songs by local artists, Puadi Akahada by Samar Singh and group, were the highlights of the day.

The Smiles group made their presence felt with an energetic interaction with the visitors. The zest of senior citizen group dressed in regional attires representing different parts of the country rubbed off on the audience as they braved the cold

Sanskar Bharti ikai Chandigarh and Art India Fort also conducted clay modelling, pottery and painting workshop.

Bangiya Sanskritik Sammilani participated in the Chandigarh Urban Festival held at Open Hand, a world heritage site, with its members performing a dance drama based on Durga Puja with Durga Stotram keeping the audience spell bound.

Through the day, parking issue kept the organisers and various departments of UT on their toes as the CISF ground allocated for parking remained out of bounds for most part of the day. Even the open hand monument side was not accessible for most visitors who had to turn back.

Main events:

Activity: CUF T10 tournament

Place: Capitol Complex

Date: Dec 16

Time: 7:00 am -4:00 pm

Entry: FREE

Activity: Cultural evening

Place: Capitol Complex

Date: Dec 16

Time: 6:30 pm onwards

Entry: FREE

Activity: CUF’22 Photography & Videography Competition