Nek Chand, the creator of world famous Rock Garden in Chandigarh, has died at the age of 90 due to chest pain. Nek Chand was born in a village now in Pakistan. He worked as a road inspector of the Public Works Department. He built the city’s iconic Rock Garden from waste and other unused household materials. His son Anuj Saini, who helped him in maintaining Rock Garden, was by his side when he died.
The rock garden is spread over an area of 40-acres, the garden was inaugurated in 1976. The GOI conferred Nek Chand with the prestigious Padma Shri award. The Chandigarh Administration celebrated Nek Chand’s 90th birthday on December 15′ 2015.
Rock Garden
- Rock Garden is a sprawling spread of myriad sculptures and works of art fashioned out of waste materials collected by Nek Chand from demolition sites around the city.
- It was officially opened by him on January 24, 1976.
- Most creations are figures of dancers, musicians, birds and animals, besides several artificial waterfalls.
- More than 2.5 lakh people visit Rock Garden every year and the annual revenue generated from ticket sales is around Rs 1.8 crore.
- The garden is maintained by the Nek Chand Foundation, formed in 1996.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Nek Chand.
