Morning walks

Every morning I go on a walk, at least I plan the night before to go on a walk. As well, I often recruit others at dinner to go on a morning walk but at 6am, they are nowhere to be found. When the morning comes, it can sometimes be hard to roll out of very comfortable bed. Once outside, however, the humid morning air is quite lovely, the temperature slowly climbing into the mid-80s as the sun soars over the Shivalik Hills.



My trek consists of a short jaunt to the Rose Garden in Sector-17, where I take the perimeter ring and quickly cross the garden, meeting a major road on the other side.

From here, I walk down a tree-lined road past the city’s art museums. The road leads to another park with walking paths under many trees. Compared to the Rose Garden, the air temperature here is much nicer. Despite this relief from the heat, the area has less people walking or sitting. In addition, it’s much quieter being surrounded by a semi-residential area.


My favorite part of walking is glimpsing the wildlife of Chandigarh, the four-legged and winged city-dwellers. In my opinion, the variety is too few but any amount is welcomed. There are familiar animals, chipmunks, pigeons, and a variety of the crow, as well as several types of birds that I don’t know.


The people that I encounter are memorable for their actions. Indian men and women alike walk briskly, do repetitive walking stretches, or gather in same sex groups and perform yoga. Some sit in various poses, others clap.