Nek Chand’s granddaughter writes to PM Modi seeking no more ‘demolition’ of Rock Garden

The granddaughter of Nek Chand, the creator of Rock Garden in Chandigarh, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying she was deeply disturbed over the “tearing down” of a wall of the iconic venue, as she sought his intervention in the matter.

Amid opposition by local residents and environmentalists, the Chandigarh Administration demolished a section of the iconic Rock Garden wall on the intervening night of March 8-9 for a road-widening project. The road-widening work is aimed at decongesting the parking areas around the Punjab and Haryana High Court here.

The administration claimed the wall was originally built to enclose the adjacent forested land, and was not part of Rock Garden designed by Padma Shri awardee Nek Chand.

It was not integral to Rock Garden itself, the administration said.

The move triggered protests by several city residents, environmentalists and heritage conservationists, who were alleged that the city’s heritage was being “destroyed”.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Nek Chand’s granddaughter Priyanka Saini said the creation that put Chandigarh on the world map is being “dismantled”.

“A part of the Rock Garden wall that was built by Nek Chand Ji has already been torn down quietly, erasing history that cannot be rebuilt the same way,” she said.

Essential materials stored for preserving Nek Chand’s work have been discarded as waste, destroying the very foundation of its restoration process, Saini claimed.

She also alleged that decades-old trees, part of the Rock Garden’s ecosystem, were being felled in the name of expansion.

Saini pointed out that Rock Garden Society is currently managed by the Chandigarh Administration members, with no representation from Nek Chand’s family or others who truly understand and care about its preservation.

“Nek Chand Ji dedicated 57 years of his life in building the artistic marvel that it is today. Rock Garden attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually, generating Rs 2 to 3 crore in profit per year,” she said.

Before sustainability became a movement, Nek Chand Ji showed the world how discarded waste could be transformed into art back in 1958, and destroying his work is a disservice to India’s legacy of innovation and environmental consciousness, Saini said.

“Prime Minister Modi Ji, when you invited former French president Francois Hollande to Chandigarh in 2016, you brought him to Rock Garden to showcase the beauty and creativity of India. You walked through its archways, knowing its worth, knowing its significance.

“The very gate you entered that day is now gone... Torn down to make way for a parking lot. That same Rock Garden, which stood as a symbol of India’s innovation and artistic spirit, is now being quietly dismantled, piece by piece,” she alleged.

Saini urged the Prime Minister that there should be “no more demolition, no further harm to Rock Garden’s sculptures, courtyards, and structures”.

She also sought an immediate halt to the “felling of trees” within Rock Garden.

“Prime Minister Ji, if we do not act now, we risk losing an irreplaceable piece of India’s history, art and environmental ingenuity,” she said.

“If Nek Chand Ji were alive today, he would have fought for his life’s work and so will we,” she added.

Nek Chand built the Rock Garden solely from discarded waste materials from homes and industrial items, and sculptures were created using items such as bangles, ceramic pots, tiles, bottles and electric waste.

It attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of the country and around the world.

‘Saving Chandigarh’, a group which held protests against the demolition process, has demanded restoration of the demolished wall to its original form.

It has also sought compulsory afforestation in lieu of trees which have been felled.