Chandimandir Cantonment is a military cantonment of the Indian Army located in Panchkula district at the foot of the Sivalik Hills adjoining Panchkula city in Haryana. It is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army.
Chandimandir Cantonment is a military cantonment of the Indian Army located in Panchkula district at the foot of the Sivalik Hills adjoining Panchkula city in Haryana. It is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army.
Chandimandir Cantonment as well as the Chandigarh city are named after the Chandi Mandir. The Chandi Mandir is located within the Chandimandir Cantonment and it is managed by the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board.
The military camp was built in the late 1960s as the Western Army Command Headquarters of the Indian Army. A new branch of the army raised during the 1971 Indo-Pak war (II Corps) was housed there until the mid-1980s. Until then the Western Army Command had been in Shimla, although not many Command units could be housed there due to a shortage of space; in the mid-1980s two corps (Kharga) moved to Ambala, and Western Command was relocated from Simla to Chandimandir.
It is among the few modern military stations built in independent India whose history does not date back to the British Indian Army.
In 1984, Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, deployed the army to flush separatist Sikh militants along with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his associates out of the Golden Temple at Amritsar complex. Code-named Operation Blue Star, the project was planned by Major General Kuldip Singh Brar, along with Lt. General Krishnaswamy Sundarji (then chief of western army command) and Lt. General Ranjit Singh Dyal (then command chief of staff).
Immediately before the Operation, Brar was commanding the 9 Infantry Division out of Meerut. His three brigades were based in Meerut, Delhi and Jalandhar, two of them composed of Sikhs. On 31 May 1984, the day before Brar and his wife were to fly to Manila for a vacation, he received a call asking him to come to Chandimandir Cantonment. When Brar arrived, he was told to fly immediately to Amritsar, where a division had been relocated to the Indo-Pakistan border in case Pakistan moved in to support the pro-Khalistan militants. [1]
Sectors A and B of Chandimandir are designated as its officers' families quarters. Sectors C, D, E, and F are assigned to families of junior commissioned officers and other ranks. Many military families stay in Panchkula in rented houses. Pine Marg is a residential area for senior officers. [2]
Manekshaw Auditorium, named after Field Marshal Manekshaw, and Raina Stadium, named after the former chief of the Indian Army are located on the base. The base includes the Western Command Hospital on the Chandigarh Kalka highway. It has two Kendriya Vidyalaya's, one Army Public School and one Army School within its limits.
The Alpha and Officer's Institute, the Command Headquarters, the M.E.S. Inspection Bungalow, the Shivalik Retreat guest house, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief's residence, and the senior officers' residence (Pine Marg) are located on a hill in the western section of the cantonment, overlooking the other sectors. A deep gorge is located behind the base to the west. To the north of this hill is a golf course and helipad.
The Khetarpal Officer's Institute (K.O.I.) (formerly the Shivalik Officer's Institute (SOI) is located near the Shakti Dwar main gate to the cantonment, at the south of the camp, opening onto the highway leading to Panchkula sectors 1 and 6.
The army base is in the foothills of the Shivaliks. The low rolling hills of the region are covered with dry thorny forests. To its northern edge, the forest and hills extend to the valley between the foothills and the main Himalayan range, containing the municipalities of Baddi and Nalagarh. [3]
Most of the trees and the green vegetation covering the foothills around Chandimandir were planted by the army. The trees are mostly kikar (Acacia), with Zizyphus berry bushes in the undergrowth. Three of the five kuls (canals) of Panchkula pass through this area.
The village that gives Chandimandir Cantonment [4] its name is on its Northeastern edge along the Chandigarh-Kalka highway. It lies north of Panchkula city, east of the Ghagghar River, and west of Mata Mansa Devi and Saketri, Nepal.
Chandimandir is in the northwest of this Quadrant. The Chandimandir Old Panchkula Road forms its southern boundary. The Zirakpur Kalka highway is close to the western boundary, and the Ghagghar River forms parts of the western boundary. Chandigarh is 15 kilometers away, though the Sector 13 of Chandigarh is only some 4 kilometers. The urban estate Panchkula's Sectors 1, 6 and parts of 7 are just south of the cantonment's southern boundary. Pinjore is just eight kilometers to the north and Kalka 15 kilometers.
Outside the cantonment are the Chandimandir houses and small townships like Bir Ghaggar and Gumthala. The literacy level in these suburbs is lower than that of surrounding areas. A Chandi Devi temple is in Bir Ghaggar, from which Chandimandir and Chandigarh derive their names. The intermittent Ghaggar River flows through Chandimandir during the monsoon. This closed-drainage river is part of the Ghaggar-Hakra River.
Saketri Shiv temple, 50 years old temple built by Sant Ram in 1960s, lies in the nearby Saketri village where damaged Shiv, Parvati and Ganesha stone sculptures weighing 1 quintal were found in the excavation. [5]
Other presently functioning Indian Army installations in Haryana are:
Chandimandir Cantt has three schools, two Kendriya Vidyalayas and one Army Public School. Nearby Panchkula and Chandigarh offer several other schools.
Although the Cantt has no college, Panchkula, Kalka and Chandigarh have several colleges, with a direct bus from the Cantt to Punjab University. The British School, Hansraj Public School in Panchkula and Delhi Public School at Pinjore are nearby.
CTU (Chandigarh Transport Undertaking) bus route number 30-A goes from Chandigarh to Chandimandir. This Cantonment is considered a part of the Chandigarh Tricity.
The cantonment is near the junction of two highways. Old Panchkula is at the junction of the Chandigarh Old Panchkula highway and Zirakpur- Kalka (part of the Delhi -Shimla highway).
Mansa Devi is just west of the Cantt, though the road route is lengthy due to an intervening gorge.
Few trains stop at Chandimandir railway station. Chandigarh Railway Station and Chandigarh Airport are the usual air and rail transport hubs for this Cantt. [6]
Kalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. It is near Panchkula city. The name of the town is derived from the Hindu goddess Kali. It is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla, and it is the terminus of the Kalka-Shimla Railway. To the south of Kalka is Pinjore, and the industrial village of Parwanoo is to the north on the NH 22. Railways and Industrial development has led to a continuous urban belt from Pinjore to Parwanoo, but Kalka gained major economic benefits due to only highway until 2010, shimla. It is the tehsil of 253 nearby sub villages. Nearby is Chandimandir Cantonment, where the Western Command of the Indian army is based. In 2013, the municipal committee of Kalka was dissolved and the administration was reassigned to Panchkula Municipal Corporation.
Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City, eight kilometres apart, therefore it is also known as "Twin City". It has a large Indian Army and Indian Air Force presence within its cantonment area. It is located 200 km (124 mi) to the north of New Delhi, India's capital, and has been identified as a counter-magnet city for the National Capital Region to develop as an alternative center of growth to Delhi.
Panchkula (PKL) is a planned city and district headquarter in the Panchkula district, part of the Ambala division in Haryana, India. The origin of the name Panchkula came from the place where five irrigation canals meet. Panchkula established itself in the early 1980s, when most of its population came here from Punjab due to the Khalistani Sikhsmovement, and settled here. At present, it forms a part of an adjoining area to the Chandigarh, Mohali and Zirakpur. It is approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Chandigarh, 105 km (65 mi) southwest of Shimla, 44 km (27 mi) from Ambala and 259 km (161 mi) northeast of New Delhi, the national capital. It is a part of the Chandigarh capital region or Greater Chandigarh. The Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula metropolitan region collectively forms a Chandigarh Tricity, with a combined population of over three million.
Dera Bassi is a satellite city of Chandigarh and a municipal council in Mohali district in the state of Punjab, India. Dera Bassi is located on the Chandigarh – Delhi National Highway, 8 km from Chandigarh. It is located within 20 km from Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. It is strategically located near the boundary of Haryana, Punjab and Union territory of Chandigarh. Derabassi is most famous for its industrial belt, situated for the most part on Ramgarh and Barwala Road. The nearby sub town of Lalru was once a famous market for red chilli powder. The city and the nearby area host eight Engineering, B.Ed., Paramedical and Management institutes.
Parwanoo or Parwanu is a municipal council in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is an industrial town. It has himachal's biggest wholesale market. It borders Panchkula district of Haryana, and is after the towns of Pinjore and Kalka on the Chandigarh Simla Highway. In fact it is separated by a river bed from the town of Kalka.
Pinjore is a town in Panchkula district in the Indian state of Haryana. This residential 'township', located close to Panchkula, Chandigarh, is set over 1,800 feet above the sea level in a valley, overlooking the Sivalik Hills. Pinjore is known for Pinjore Gardens, Asia's best 17th Century Mughal garden, and the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) factory.
Zirakpur is a satellite town, in Mohali District, Punjab, neighboring Mohali, Chandigarh in India. It is set on the foothills of Shivalik hills. It is part of the tehsil Dera Bassi. It is the gateway to Chandigarh from Delhi. It comprises mainly the following areas near Chandigarh Airport including VIP Road, Dhakoli, Lohgarh, Bhabat, Bishanpura, Kishanpura, Nabha, Gazipur, Baltana, Singhpura, Peer Muchalla and Dyalpura. This town is situated on the junction of national highways Himalayan Expressway, National Highway 5 (India) towards Shimla, Ambala Chandigarh Expressway towards Ambala and National Highway 7 (India) towards Patiala.
Morni is a village and tourist attraction in the Morni Hills at the height of 1,267 metres (4,157 ft) in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. It is located around 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Chandigarh, 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Panchkula city and is known for its Himalayan views, flora, and lakes. The name of Morni is believed to derive from a queen who once ruled the area two thousand years back. She was said to be a just and noble ruler. Morni was also a jagir of Raja Mir Syed Muhammad Baquar Ali Khan.
Chandi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Chandi the goddess of power, near Chandigarh, located on NH-5 Chandigarh-Kalka highway in Panchkula city of Haryana state of India. It is about 15 km from the city of Chandigarh, which was named after the temple, and about 10 km away from the Mansa Devi Shrine. The temple is situated amidst beautiful surroundings and the backdrop of the Shivalik hills.
Powadha is a region in north India that comprises parts of present-day Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and ofChandigarh, India. It has the Sutlej river in its north and covers the regions immediately south of the Ghaggar river. The people of the area are known as Powadhi and speak the Powadhi dialect of Punjabi.
Chandigarh Capital Region (CCR) or Chandigarh Metropolitan Region (CMR) is an area, which includes the union territory city of Chandigarh, and its neighboring cities of Mohali, Kharar, Zirakpur, New Chandigarh and Panchkula. Chandigarh Administration, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) are different authorities responsible for development of this region.
Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Shivalik foothills in the village of Bilaspur, near Sector 13 of Chandigarh, and Panchkula, 10 km from Chandi Mandir, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Chandigarh.
Haryana, formed on 1 November 1966, is a state in North India. For the administrative purpose, Haryana is divided into 6 revenue divisions which are further divided into 22 districts. For Law and Order maintenance, it is divided into 5 Police Ranges and 4 Police Commissionerates.
Mansa Devi Temple, Haridwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi in the holy city of Haridwar in the Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is located atop the Bilwa Parvat on the Sivalik Hills, the southernmost mountain chain of the Himalayas. The temple, also known as Bilwa Tirth is one of the Panch Tirth within Haridwar.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Haryana.
The Himalayan Expressway is a 27.5 km stretch of highway in India that runs through the Shivaliks at the trijunction of Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. It is part of the Chandigarh–Shimla Expressway which connects Zirakpur in Punjab to Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh. The stretch runs through 2 km in Zirakpur, Punjab, 21 km in Panchkula, Haryana, and 4.5 km in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh. It was constructed by Jaypee Group.
Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Panchkula district of Haryana state, India. It is spread over an area of 767.30 hectares. It also houses Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre, Pinjore.
The Kaushalya Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Kaushalya river, which is a tributary of Ghaggar-Hakra River, in Pinjore of Haryana state, India. It was constructed between 2008 and 2012 with the primary purpose of water supply.
National Highway 5 (NH5) is a primary national highway in India, running from West to East, connecting Firozpur in Punjab to the Sino-Indian border at Shipki La. The highway passes through Moga, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Mohali, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Kalka, Solan, Shimla, Theog, Narkanda, Kumarsain, and Rampur Bushahr and continues along the Sutlej River till its terminus near the Tibet border.
Chandi Mandir railway station is a small railway station in Panchkula district, Haryana. Its code is CNDM. It serves Chandimandir Cantonment area of Panchkula city. The station consists of three platforms. The platforms are not well sheltered. It lacks many facilities including water and sanitation. Chandigarh railway station as well as Chandigarh Airport are the usual air and rail transport hubs for this Chandimandir Cantonment.