Zakir Hussain Rose Garden

The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is a 30-acre public garden in Sector 16, Chandigarh, planted with around 50,000 rose bushes of some 1,600 varieties, which makes it one of the largest rose gardens in Asia. It was laid out in 1967 and named after Dr Zakir Husain, the third President of India.

The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden was developed under M. S. Randhawa, the botanist and administrator who shaped much of Chandigarh's green planning. Besides the roses there are beds of medicinal plants and flowering trees, lawns and fountains. Each February the garden hosts the Chandigarh Rose Festival, with rose competitions, cultural performances and food stalls, and the city turns out in large numbers. For the rest of the year it is a much-loved city park where Chandigarh comes for morning walks and yoga.

What to see

• Named rose beds in reds, whites, yellows and rare bicolours
• The medicinal plant section and old shade trees
• Fountains and lawns in the centre of the garden
• The Rose Festival displays and competitions in late February
• Early-morning walkers and yoga groups on the lawns

What to wear

The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden has no dress code; wear light clothes and comfortable shoes for the paths. In the peak rose months of February and March, mornings are cool, so bring a light jacket. Summer is hot, so a hat and water help. Chandigarh sits in Punjabi country, and around the city you will see women in salwar kameez, often with a bright phulkari embroidered dupatta, and Sikh men in neatly tied turbans.

Local food to try

Chandigarh eats like Punjab: chole bhature for breakfast, Amritsari kulcha, dal makhani, butter chicken and tall glasses of lassi, with sarson da saag and makki di roti in winter. The Sector 17 plaza is right next door, with sweet shops, cafes and Punjabi restaurants, and the Rose Festival brings food stalls selling chaat, kulfi and hot jalebi. Vegetarian choices are plentiful.

Good to know

• Best from February to April, when the roses flower; mornings are quietest
• Open daily, about 6am to 7pm
• Free entry
• Allow 45 minutes to an hour, longer during the Rose Festival
• In Sector 16, beside Sector 17 and about 7 km from Chandigarh railway station
• Do not pick flowers; photography is welcome

Nearby places

The Sector 17 Plaza is across the road for shopping and food. The Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake are about 4 km north-east, an easy combination for a single day.