Renowned French urbanist-cum-architect Le Corbusier worked his magic and Chandigarh was born. It is easily among the best-planned cities in India and that is a well-known fact. What is perhaps largely unknown is that Le Corbusier also designed the Government Museum and Art Gallery in the heart of the city. One of the most striking features of the museum is its grand building itself. Overlooking the stunning Shivalik mountain range of the lower Himalayas, it has a sprawling, lush green campus. Inaugurated in 1968, the building is in fact a complex, with the art museum and gallery, the Natural History Museum and the City Museum. It houses a dazzling collection of art — from rare antiques to contemporary works. Many of its masterpieces were part of a collection in Lahore and came to India after Independence in 1947. The collection has since grown substantially. There is also an architecture museum here that documents the development of the city of Chandigarh — from inception to the present. The Natural History Museum is no less a delight, with its exhibits from the prehistoric Harappan times and those on the evolution of life and man and the hugely popular section on the dinosaurs of India. When you have stopped gasping over the façade and step inside, you discover the marvel of Corbusier’s creative mind. The cavernous, clutter-free interior is designed for space, harmony, expanse and quietude. Not just that, the sun filters in through the slats of thoughtfully louvered skylights that allow only the right amount and intensity of light. A system of top lighting also illuminates the entire length of the building.

The museum also showcases a vast collection of Indian textiles, metal and stone sculpture, decorative art, miniature paintings and contemporary art. Visitors are spotted seated hour after hour on comfortable chairs in the middle of the corridors, soaking in the beauty of the art. The entire range is here — from oil on canvas to water colours to drawings, monochrome and colour. The folk-inspired vigour in Jamini Roy’s paintings jostle for attention with the Western spirit of rebellion of Amrita Shergil's works. Settle down on one of the chairs and gaze at some century-old works of the Russian mystic-painter-philosopher-writer and friend of India, Nicholas Roerich. There is also a special section for two celebrated painters from Punjab, S. Sobha Singh and S.S.G. Thakar Singh. Another special section dedicated to the Nine Masters of India evokes sheer awe. Just look at the names here: Amrita Shergil, Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose, Raja Ravi Varma, Sailoz Mookherjea, Rabindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath and Abanindranath Tagore (both nephews of Tagore) and Nicholas Roerich. The Russian master had made India his home and painted feverishly during his last days in the picturesque Kullu Valley. He painted the mighty Himalayas in their physical grandeur, treating his lofty subject with his striking style and sensitivity. When I stepped out of the museum drenched in the colours of the great masters, I couldn’t help but look at the resplendent Shivalik range anew. My vision was enriched by Roerich’s symbolism, Shergil’s commentary, Tagore’s honesty and Souza’s energy. If you are one of those people who love art and admire artists, you must visit the museum.