Our city has the finest restaurants which serve a variety of international cuisines but nothing beats the tandoori roti and butter chicken of the dhabas that gives you a gastronomic experience that is one of its kind. Similarly, when we arrive at a party or a club we show off our “gangsta” dance moves while drake or Niki Minaj are crooning in the background but 30 minutes into the party and we are killing it with our bhangra on a badshah or a Yo Yo Honey Singh track. Basically, this city and its people are downright “Desi” at heart and absolutely proud of it.

So there are a few things that one should not miss when visiting this city.

A visit to Panjab University & the celebrated student Centre or “Stu-c”

This University is my alma mater but I truly feel that this landmark place is totally worth a visit not only because of its historical and architectural significance but just to experience the bustling energy and the aura of this place. Also, you cannot miss the lip-smacking food of stu-c which is a mini food court for students and I’m not bluffing when I say that you can satisfy your palate as well as your tummy under 150 bucks at this place.

Sukhna lake- Our very own Marine Drive

The Sukhna lake is Chandigarh’s prized possession and a walk along this reservoir during the evening with the cool wind blowing in your face gives the most soothing feeling. Being a famous tourist attraction, it is thronged by sketch artists, vendors of all kinds, street musicians and other entertainers to attract the crowd. The facility of boating is also available but nothing beats the serene sunrise and the beautiful sunset at the lake which adds to its scenic beauty.

The Himalayan Expressway and Timber trail

The smooth highway that connects Chandigarh to Shimla offers a fun drive through the mountains. The timber trail resort nestled in the hills of parwanoo acts as the perfect pit stop for the city dwellers looking for a weekend getaway. The main attraction of this resort lies in the 1.8 km cable car ride to a mountain top with its breathtaking and picturesque view of the mountain scenery.

The Sector 8-9-10 Gehri Route

While talking of drives, it shall be catastrophic not to mention the sector 8-9-10 stretch which is full of youngsters cruising in their fancy cars with the music blaring. The lively atmosphere of this area grows on you and uplifts your spirit.

A stroll through the Rock Garden and the Rose garden

Chandigarh is full of gardens and open spaces but the world famous Rock Garden is one of its Kind. It is considered as the brainchild of the renowned artist Nek Chand who built sculptures from scrap and recycled waste material to create art. These sculptures situated in the garden are a work of ingenuity and beauty which tends to leave people awestruck. Similarly, Rose Garden is a paradise for nature lovers and gardening enthusiasts with the variety of exquisite flowers and other flora on display.

Experience culture at Tagore Theatre

The highly acclaimed Tagore theatre hosts the finest plays and theatrical performances in the country.  Local as well as international artists can be found mesmerizing the audience by exhibiting their talent here.  This place is sheer bliss for dramatics and theatre fanatics and the recitals here are a visual treat for the eyes.

Shopping Spree at sector 17

The first thing anybody associates with Chandigarh is sector 17. It is glorified in many songs as well and rightly so because it pretty much forms the essence of this city. No mall or Branded shopping complex can compare to the shopping experience you get in this place. The vivacious vibes which this place exuberates is infectious and you cannot help feeling a sense of happiness while visiting sector 17. From phulkari and Punjabi juttis to high-end fashion accessories, you will find anything and everything here.

I can go on and on about a hundred other things to do in Chandigarh because there is so much more to this city but I’m going to sign off with one last thought that Chandigarh is indeed city beautiful in every way, you got to breathe it, live it, experience it and you shall surely fall in love with it!

The post Chandigarh Diaries: Things You Absolutely Must Do While Visiting City Beautiful appeared first on Chandigarh Bytes.

The bar is fully stocked most of the times and the cocktails are heavenly- especially the long island iced tea and pina colada. They also hold live sports screening at times so if you’re a sports fan then it is the perfect place to catch up on a match with your friends while drowning yourself in beer or whatever it is that you prefer. *hehe* The only downside is that alcohol is a little expensive but they have a 1+1 offer on some of the drinks so it makes more sense to order those specific drinks for a pocket friendly experience.

When it comes to food, Peddlers 35 preparation is quite nice and even the most basic dishes have a different and ingenious touch to them. I got fan of their pizzas especially the piri-piri pizza..sigh! pure bliss. They have a variety of cuisines to offer including Italian, Mexican, Indian and continental so there is a lot to choose from. I will not say that the food experience is out of the world or anything but it’s pretty decent. 

Coming to the highlight of Peddlers 35, the live band performances in the evening are electrifying and induces a whole different level of energy and craziness in this place. Be it a Monday or Saturday, the music will never disappoint you as they have the best bands playing all 7 days of the week. Once the band starts playing, it is quite impossible to have a conversation so only visit in the evening if you are in a mood to party because there are people dancing everywhere as soon as they are into their third or fourth song.

The only thing lacking in this place is S-P-A-C-E as it gets congested as soon as it gets a little crowded. Every inch of the area is occupied by people either sitting or standing or for that matter even dancing so it’s always better to make a reservation in advance especially on Saturday to avoid inconvenience and if you’re one of those who just likes to party without caring two hoots about seating then just grab a drink from the bar counter and dance away to glory.

A great place to chill with friends. I give it 4 stars and 2 out of those 4 stars are purely for the mind-boggling live music experience they offer.

Author: Rupali Parmar

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This week #teamTCB visited Purple Frog Chandigarh.

Gone are the days when only sector 17 and sector 35 served as an oasis for all the “happening” and trendy hangout joints. But today so many cafes, bars, lounges and restaurants have mushroomed all over the city that we chandigarhites are spoilt for choices. The current phenomenon that has taken the city by storm is “sheesha” or “hookah” as it is popularly called and all the hookah enthusiasts can be found flocked at Sector 26 which boasts of 4-5 amazing hookah lounges. The one that I shall be reviewing today is called Purple Frog which is located right in the middle of the sector 26 market stretch that runs parallel to Madhya Marg.

Being a hookah fanatic myself, I have been a regular customer of Purple Frog in Chandigarh for the past one year and it has not disappointed me even once. The USP of this place lies in the fact that it has so much to offer- they’ve got the best hookahs in town, a full bar, live band performances every evening and lip smacking food. There are hardly any places in town that serve you both alcohol and hookah which is what makes it a hit amongst the youngsters.

Their facebook page reads “It’s not just a lounge, It’s a froggy destination” and they have done complete justice to that tag line. As the name says PURPLE frog, the interiors are quite quirky with dim purple lighting that sets the perfect ambiance for hookah. There are private seating spaces available for people who want to get away from the crowd and the loud music. The bar is fully stocked most of the times and they always have pocket-friendly offers on alcohol throughout the day. Every night there is a live band performance which starts at somewhere between 9 to 9:30 pm which always delivers foot tapping music. The schedule regarding which band of what genre is playing on which day of the week is updated by them on their facebook page everyday so you can always check what you’re in for before visiting the place.

The food is pretty good with nonveg starters to die for especially “drums of heaven” and assorted “murg tikkas” of all kinds. And finally, I don’t know what sorcery they do with their hookahs which make the flavor last for a super long time so you can just sit there puffing away to glory for a good 1.5-2 hours while your server changes the coal regularly- Yes! They are very particular about that.

Things Purple Frog can work on

Although I really don’t find any major flaws or cons with the place but yes there are a few glitches here and there like some people might not particularly enjoy the extremely loud music which the DJ plays, although the playlist is quite decent with heterogeneous music ranging from sufi to hip-hop. Also, the seating is a bit congested which poses a bit of a problem, especially on Saturday nights when the place is packed with the crowd. The staff is courteous and friendly but the service can be slow at times which is a downer for most people.

The final verdict on Purple Frog

All said and done, Purple Frog in Chandigarh is a complete package with the variety of services and amenities that it offers and is also not very heavy on the pocket. Our expenses after my most recent visit came out to be Rs 2850 for four people which included one hookah, 8 bottles of beer(they had 1 plus 1 offer on the beer we ordered) and 2 non-veg dishes. So come on people! Do the math. In my opinion, this place is definitely worth a visit if a crazy and fun time is what’s on your mind.

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The Great Bear Chandigarh: First Impression

Located in sector 26, The Great Bear Chandigarh quickly climbed up the popularity charts within a short span of time since it’s opening. As soon as you enter, you are greeted by a lively ambience along with foot tapping music which instantly puts you in a jovial mood. This place is amazingly huge and spacious which means that it is easy to find a table unless you are visiting on a Saturday night, then I suggest that you must make a reservation well in advance unless you want to be put on the waiting list. 

The interiors are done up quite nicely and the potted plants that are fixed to the walls in the outdoor seating are sure to catch your eye as they give an illusion that the leafy walls are made up of foliage. The convertible roof over this area acts like a cherry on the top and the huge projector screen always has a football or cricket match on it which makes it an ideal place for sports enthusiasts as well who wish to catch up on a match.

Drinks:

You can choose your beer from the beer testers they offer which mainly includes ginger ale, dark Weiss and green apple. I personally feel that green apple beer is the best thing on their entire menu and is a must try, to experience its unique and refreshing flavour. According to me, this particular beer is the USP of this place and this is what sets it apart from other breweries.

Apart from the beer, their drinks menu is varied and extensive with all kinds of liquor but In my opinion, their cocktails are pretty mild and average in taste. It’s almost like you’re drinking juice but on the other hand, the mocktails are splendid and they are served in fancy little mason jars which adds to its presentation.

Food:

Amongst the starters, at The Great Bear Chandigarh, I always go for the baked chicken nachos as they make the perfect snack to munch on while gulping down beer. The pizzas have an ultra thin crust but they are very generous with their toppings. The pastas are pretty ordinary but the variety of dishes they have is astounding.  Also, the quantity of the food they serve is quite large which is another good thing about this place. From Lebanese and Mexican to Indian and Chinese, you name it and they have it.

Overall Experience

The Great Bear Chandigarh staff is courteous and friendly plus in spite of being packed with customers most of the times, the service is relatively quick. This place won’t exactly burn a hole in your pocket but I would place it somewhere between moderately priced and expensive. To sum it up- freshly brewed beer, good food and pleasant ambience makes this place ideal for a fun day out with friends or family.

The Great Bear Chandigarh indeed serves “great” beer and so much more as well.

Let us know your views in the comment section below.

ChandigarhBytes

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As anticipated, parents, friends and family expected me to carry on with the law as a profession but I did not want to adhere to the stereotypes after law education as I feel that at the age of 22 this is the time to explore and delve into new avenues.

Career choices after law were sort of restricted at first and I was reluctant to approach prospective employers for something other than law opening and so were they who called me for an interaction as both of us had our reservations and preconceived notions.

Finally, I decided to go against the tide and explore something unconventional like marketing and advertising, a domain which looks glamorous and fancy on the outside but the kind of intellectual and technical input required in this field is phenomenal which appealed to me.

After thorough research, I found out that either I could engage in marketing departments of law firms, legal charities, and other such organizations or dive straight into marketing agencies as there is a variety of work to be done there for which the skills acquired during the law education can prove handy and effective.

I feel that recourse can be taken to another option which is mixing things up by assuming the role of a legal marketing expert for a law firm or an individual advocate’s office as many lawyers don’t get new clients and files because they don’t indulge inadequate business development activities or services. A detailed marketing strategy is mandatory for the same for which a legal professional with a knack for marketing and advertising would fit the bill perfectly. In my perspective, It gives law graduates like me an opportunity to explore creative ingenuity along with the application of analytical and managerial skills.

I have a few acquaintances who are pursuing their MBA in sales and marketing after their LLB as they feel that it would expedite their transition from a business facilitator to a business decision maker. This is a welcome change from the traditional practice of going for masters in law (LLM) after LLB because who said that it is a hard and fast rule that we HAVE to stick to this customary norm.

So my advice to all the law graduates out there would be to put on your thinking caps and try to discover ways in which your legal education can be applied to various fields. Do not hesitate to take the road less traveled as it proves to be rewarding in the end.

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