Nek Chand: An Early Encounter

In the year 1965 I had taken over as the First Indian Chief Architect of the State of Punjab and Chandigarh after the departure of Pierre Jeanneret and the greatest architect of the 20th Century, Le Corbusier. I was fully engrossed with the left-over works of the great Master and further development of the most modern city of the world, besides other important assignments. It was during this period in 1969 that someone waited to see me outside my office. I was told that the man worked as a Road-Inspector in the establishment of the Chandigarh Chief Engineer with which I had no direct link at lower levels. Perhaps he wanted some help for promotion or some such thing. I had no time to spare for matters of no concern. He attempted a couple of times again before approaching with a very senior officer requesting an interview. I was given to understand that the man was keen to show me something that may be of interest to me. Without giving a second thought, I asked the officer to send the Road-Inspector to my house on the next Sunday morning.

Promptly on the appointed time, the door bell rang. I came out to find a very simple looking fellow with a worn-out bicycle tucked out of sight. He introduced himself with folded hands as if to seek my blessings. He was the most unassuming Nek Chand - the embodiment of humility. I took Nek Chand in my car and he guided me to an inconspicuous spot, a hundred meters away from the last major road, south-east of the Capitol Complex, at the head of the City. The area was cordoned off by bitumen drums lined up one on the other and giving the appearance of a fortress. The entrance was on the side, approached by an unpaved road blocked by a long branch of a tree with V-shaped top. With some mysterious signal a man appeared from nowhere and raised the log allowing us to enter. To my amazement, the most uncanny arrangement of space was created by the juxtaposition of naturally sculpted stones and waste materials. Each step I took unfolded a hidden surprise.

I was, perhaps, the first man in authority to recognise the genius in him during my first visit to the site which was the starting point of Nek Chand's "Dream-world". I vividly recollect the occasion. My admiration for Nek Chand1s great creative potential conflicted with my position as Chief Architect and Secretary of Chandigarh Administration. His fantasy world was on Government land, next to the great land-mark of monumental buildings by the Great Master le Corbusier in the Capitol Complex. What Nek Chand had embarked upon was not part of the Master-Plan and, as such, was unauthorised and illegal. At that period of time, no one could imagine the great creative mind of this humble genius who had no political or any other support. I did not have the heart to go by the rules and advised him to continue his work in secret. I made up my mind to help him get recognised, and although it took a year or so, I fulfiled my promise in 1972.

The Rock Garden is entirely Chand's concept, but he made an exception by requesting me to design the Cafeteria-Complex in the First Phase. Perhaps, he was confident of my being in harmony with his self-created environment.

While the city of Chandigarh was being built in full swing and all attention was focused on the masterpieces of architecture an unknown man was diligently working to make his own dreams come true. Not one dream but many dreams each one more fanciful and romantic. With his keen eye and sensitive mind, Nek Chand painstakingly for over two decades collected stones of exquisite form and sizes for reasons nobody knew. He also collected strange looking metal pieces, lag-stones, over-burnt bricks, broken pots, china-ware, tree trunks, weeds, rags, plastic dolls, battered hats, broken coloured bangles, used shoes, fused bulbs, worn out tires, bottles, parts of rusted bicycles, discarded building materials, birds' nests - you name it! All dumped behind coal-tar oil-drum walls forming a fortress and guarding his stored treasure! Nek Chand's imagination had no bounds and all kinds of objects he came across became handy for its fulfilment. His dreams are unending and so are his creations - he goes on and on!

In thirty-five years, he has created a fantasy-land from micro-scale leading to the macro-scale of the Third-Phase. Nek Chand has stirred the imagination of rich and poor and persons of all races and nations, regardless of their beliefs.

It is a mixture of folk-art and provocative plastic forms of all shapes and sizes, blended in a natural and most imaginative environment created by the Master of Arts. Going through the narrow passages one can experience sudden surprises of beautifully landscaped open spaces articulated by sculptures reminding you of Henry Moore. Nek Chand's architectural and engineering innovations have the touch of Antonio Gaudi. Of course, Nek Chand is unaware of such big names or their works! The only dream Nek Chand was not aware of was that one day he would rank among the great masters and would receive unmatched recognition and the most prestigious awards. Nek Chand is far greater than his creations. He does not speak much but his creations speak volumes for him.