Who was the chief town-planner and principal architect responsible for designing the modern city of Chandigarh after India's independence?

Introduction / Context:
Chandigarh is one of India's first planned cities built after independence and is often cited as an example of modernist urban design. Questions about Chandigarh's planning usually focus on the architect who led its design, because this connects Indian geography with architectural history. This question asks you to identify the chief town-planner and principal architect behind Chandigarh's layout, a fact that frequently appears in general knowledge exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The city in question is Chandigarh, a planned capital city. - The time frame is after India's independence. - The question asks for the town planner and principal architect. - Options include Le Corbusier, Christopher Wren, Charles Correa and Edwin Lutyens.

Concept / Approach:
Chandigarh was conceived as a symbol of modern India and designed using principles of modernist architecture. The Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier was invited to prepare the overall master plan and architectural vision after an earlier American planner, Albert Mayer, could not complete the project. Le Corbusier's name is therefore strongly linked with Chandigarh in all discussions of planned cities. The approach is to recall this link and not confuse Chandigarh with cities like New Delhi or foreign examples planned by other architects.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, refer to books or articles on Indian urban planning and architecture, which consistently cite Le Corbusier as the principal planner of Chandigarh. The city is often presented as an example of his modernist urban ideas in architecture courses worldwide. Even basic general knowledge books state directly that Le Corbusier planned the city of Chandigarh, whereas New Delhi is associated with Lutyens and Baker. These repeated references confirm that Le Corbusier is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Christopher Wren was an English architect known for St Paul's Cathedral and other London buildings, with no role in Indian city planning. Charles Correa made important contributions to Indian architecture but is best linked with other projects, not Chandigarh's master plan. Edwin Lutyens is famous for planning New Delhi, including the area around Rajpath, but not Chandigarh. None of the above would be appropriate since one option, Le Corbusier, exactly matches the known historical fact.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Chandigarh with New Delhi because both are capital cities with planned layouts. This leads to mistakenly choosing Edwin Lutyens. Others may simply recognise Indian names such as Charles Correa and assume that the planner must be Indian, overlooking the international collaboration that shaped post independence architecture. To avoid such errors, it helps to memorise clear associations: Le Corbusier Chandigarh, Lutyens New Delhi and Correa Navi Mumbai and other modern projects.

Final Answer:
The chief town-planner and principal architect of the modern city of Chandigarh was Le Corbusier.