Chandigarh’s Sculpture Park, the Largest in the Country, Beckons Art Lovers

Did you know there is a Sculpture Park in Chandigarh, the first-of-its-kind in the country? Yes, you heard it right! There is one in Chandigarh, which is tucked away in Kalagram, Manimajra (Chandigarh), on the bustling Chandigarh-Kalka highway. The unique park is under the management of North Zone Culture Centre (NZCC), engaged in the preservation and promotion of art and culture, especially the dying art forms in the country.

The unique Sculpture Park brags about housing a rich repertoire of wooden and stone sculptures lying cheek-by-jowl over meticulously manicured sprawling lawns at Kalagram, offering an experience of a kind and an insight into the exquisite works of art on display. Besides being the Mecca of art, it’s a perfect rendezvous for a family to spend quality time there, basking in the sun on a cold winter afternoon and exploring the enigmatic rock-hewn larger-than-life images speaking the language of silence!

Speaking to CityWoofer, NZCC programme officer Yashwinder Sharma says “The garden sculptures have been divided into many categories, viz temple sculptures, abstract sculptures, realistic sculptures, tribal scriptures and contemporary sculptures and so on and so forth”.

Most of the sculptures are based on abstract themes depicting various facets of human life in a typical artistic tradition. The stone idol of reclining Ganesha to a replica of a human brain to the sculptures portraying a quintessential woman in her predominant roles as a doting mother, an affectionate spouse, a darling daughter and so on, tell it all.

What is more noticeable in these sculptures is the fact that each work of art on display here bears the name of the artist with the date of the creation engraved on it. The recurring theme of the work, ranging from the mundane to metaphysical, sensuous to sublime and so on, is amply reflected in the works.

The finely-chiselled images of various shapes and sizes have been sculpted out of black, white, pink, yellow colour stone, sourced primarily from Baslana, Jaipur, Udaipur and Gujarat and some other places.

However, a good number of wooden sculptures on display at the park are made from Talli (Sheesham), and teak wood. The finely engraved images speak volumes of their evocative sensitivity and their stoic silence that eggs you to speak to them in their language of silence.

Sharma informs with oodles of optimism “The NZCC organised some theme stone sculpture and wood carving camps with a view to promote creative activity in the City. The innovative idea augured well with certain acclaimed sculptors from various parts of the country attending these camps. Prominent among those big names were Padma Shri recipient Biman Bihari Das, Shiv Singh, D Rajasekharan Nair, Latika Katt, M Dhirmani, Pankaj Gehlot and many more who later became legends in their own rights. Some of the sculptures dotting the park have been carved out by students of College of Art, Sector 10, Chandigarh.”

When asked what was so special about the outdoor Sculpture Park, Sharma says, “The idea behind bringing the unique feature to the City Beautiful, was to take the sculptures out of the confines of indoor museums and art galleries so that the access to these treasure troves of art becomes easy. The initiative helped NZCC to ignite public interest towards popularising sculptures, besides giving a quantum push to tourism in the city. We are also toying with the idea of having terracotta, fibre and metal sculptures added to involve more art enthusiasts”.

The water sculptures at the Sector 17 plaza, the Garden Sculptures at Leisure Valley in Sector 10 and Terrace Garden and the Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10, which have earned Chandigarh a title of the City of Sculptures, are a virtual visual treat to tourists from home and abroad. However, the Sculpture Park at Kalagram housing some 220 stone and 60 wooden sculptures is a class apart, inviting art lovers in great numbers. The park was conceptualised with a view to create adequate space for artists and sculptors to showcase the magic of their deft hands and write success stories. However, it is a matter of grave concern that some of the sculptures are lying in a state of neglect.

Silhouetted against the backdrop of the distant Shivalik ranges, the sculpture park offers a commanding view. As you leisurely stroll  into the sprawling five-acre sculpture park through the pergola-laden walkways, flanked by stone images on both sides, you catch a clearer view of the sculptures.

As you step ahead through the serene corridors, you come across stunning statutes, carved out of stone by the iconic sculptors, some of them national awardees. In a matter of minutes you are into the fairyland with your gaze fixed on the sculptures arranged in a perfect order, with the ornamental trees and other flora making a perfect canopy, as if extending a rousing welcome to the visiting guests.

A random visit to the park reminds you of the historic Khajuraho (MP) which has the country’s largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, the Ajanta and Ellora caves (Maharashtra state) and the rock-hewn Masroor temples in the Kangra Valley (HP) where inquisitive art aficionados throng to in their thousands from across the globe to know more about the intricate art works steeped in history of ancient and medieval architecture.

Evolving into a hub of cultural and creative activities year round, the Sculpture Park became the cynosure of all inquisitive eyes when the North Zone Culture Centre (NZCC) held the first-ever sculpture camp here in 2002, which witnessed some of the country’s top notch sculptors, who showed up on special invitation of the host and showcased the magic of their nimble fingers dwelling on diverse themes. The unique initiative had invited rave reviews and had become the talking point in the corridors of creative and cultural activities.