Japanese Garden, Chandigarh

This is the first garden in Chandigarh made with a Japanese touch, and a young one: thirteen acres in Sector 31, opened in November 2014, with a second phase added in June 2016 and a tunnel joining the two, painted on both walls. Inside there are water bodies and waterfalls, pagoda towers, golden bamboo, a Buddha idol and a meditation centre, built at a cost of six crore rupees. Treat it as a walk rather than a destination. The pleasure is in the layout, and it is a better hour early in the day than at the weekend.