Who is the creator of the famous Rock Garden located in Chandigarh?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Nek Chand

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The Rock Garden in Chandigarh is a unique sculpture garden built largely from waste materials and recycled items. It has become an important tourist attraction and an example of creative reuse in urban art. This question tests knowledge of the self taught artist who imagined, built, and patiently expanded this extraordinary space, often working quietly before his work received official recognition.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The location is the Rock Garden in Chandigarh.
  • The work consists of sculptures made from rocks, broken tiles, and other waste.
  • The options list architects, cultural activists, and artists.
  • One of the options is the correct creator of the Rock Garden.


Concept / Approach:
The concept is to correctly associate a landmark artistic creation with its originator. Although Le Corbusier designed the overall city plan of Chandigarh, the Rock Garden itself was conceived and built by Nek Chand, a government road inspector turned artist. He used construction waste and thrown away materials to create thousands of figures and structures. Over time the garden grew into a large environment art project. Recognising this individual contribution is essential for answering correctly.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key phrase Rock Garden, Chandigarh in the question. Step 2: Recall from general knowledge that this garden is made from recycled materials and is linked with a self taught artist. Step 3: Recognise that Nek Chand is the name always associated with Rock Garden in textbooks and travel guides. Step 4: Note that Le Corbusier was the chief architect of Chandigarh city, not the creator of this particular garden. Step 5: Choose Nek Chand as the correct option.


Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, remember that Rock Garden is also sometimes referred to as Nek Chand Rock Garden, directly carrying the creator name in some sources. State tourism websites and school geography books about Chandigarh mention him by name as the person behind the project. None of the other options have such direct and repeated association with this garden, confirming that Nek Chand is the right answer for examination purposes.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Le Corbousier is famous as the architect who planned much of modern Chandigarh, but he did not design or build the Rock Garden. Pupul Jayakar and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay were cultural activists and administrators involved in crafts and handloom revival, not in this sculpture garden. M F Husain was a celebrated painter and artist, yet he did not create this site. They are included as distractors to check if the learner can separate city planning from the specific environmental art of the Rock Garden.


Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse the role of Le Corbousier and mark his name whenever they see Chandigarh, which leads to an incorrect answer here. Another pitfall is ignoring the unique nature of the Rock Garden as a folk style, environment art project rather than a formal architectural work. Building a mental map that clearly associates each major tourist site with its creator, such as Nek Chand with Rock Garden, helps to avoid such confusion and improves performance in personality and place based questions.


Final Answer:
The creator of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh is Nek Chand.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion