Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Named after the Hindu goddess Chandi, Chandigarh literally means "The Fort of Chandi". It is the capital of two Indian states - Haryana and Punjab.
India's first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had a personal interest in establishement of Chandigarh. Initial master plan was prepared by Albert Mayer - an American architect. He was assisted by the Poland born architect Matthew Nowicki. After Nowicki
s death in 1950, Le Corbusier was pulled into the project to design modern India's first planned city.
Chandigarh has the highest per capita income in the country. It is also the cleanest city in India.
The need to create Chandigarh arose due to partion of India by the British in 1947. Lahore, the capital of Punjab went to Pakistan and the Indian part of Punjab required a capital city. Various cities were considered, for any of them to be the capital but suitability was not found for various reasons - even with possible alterations and additions.
The city was designed on grid pattern, each grid being called Sector implying self-sufficiency of each sector - at least theoretically - space for working, living and leisure. A green belt surrounds Chandigarh, making it famous for its greeness.
The city has forests around it which is habitat to many animal and plant species. Sambars, Deers, Barking Deers, Woodpeckers, Parrots, Peacocks are residents of these protected forests. There is a parrot sanctuary in city.
Places of interest
Sukhna Lake
Waterfall at Rock Garden, Chandigarh

Manali
Manali

Manali, 6,398 ft, in the Beas River valley, is in Himachal Pradesh, India. It was a small town at the start of an ancient trade route to Ladakh, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin.
Manali is said to be the home of the Saptarshi, or Seven Sages.
Manali is named after Manu, author of Manu smriti. Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world.

The apple trees and trout were introduced by the British, which were not native to Manali. Manali now is a very popular tourist destination after Kashmir saw a decline due to terrorism. Especially for honeymooners.
Manali is famous for adventure sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking. Yak skiing is a sport unique to this area.
Manali also offers hot springs, religious shrines and Tibetan Buddhist temples and has high concentration of Tibetan refugees.
Places of interest

Naggar Fort
Built during Pala Empire. Shows a collection of elegant art work. Made from rocks, stones, and elaborate wood carvings.
Hidimba Devi Temple - 1553
Dedicated to local deity Hadimba, wife of the Pandava prince, Bhim. It is a four-floor pagoda with exquisite wooden carvings.

Rahla waterfalls - 27 Km (17 mi) from Manali
Before the climb to the Rohtang Pass, you spot these lovely water falls. Altitude of 2,501 mtr.
Solang valley - 13 Km
Also called Snow Point.
Manikaran - 45 Km
Hot springs near the river Parvati.
Rohtang Pass - 51 Km
A very famous snow point, closed during winters due to snow. At 13000 ft above the sea level.