After the
partition of Punjab in 1947 following the
independence of India, the divided
Punjab required a new capital to replace
Lahore, which was now in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru commissioned Le Corbusier to build a new city for the capital of
Punjab. This city would become
Chandigarh. Nehru desired that the city's design be "unfettered by the traditions of the past, a symbol of the nation's faith in the future". Subsequently, Corbusier and his team designed not just a large assembly and high court building, but all major buildings in the city, down to the door handles in public offices. After the
Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 separated the new state of
Haryana from the state of Punjab, Chandigarh remained capital of both states and both legislative assemblies share the same campus. Today, many of the buildings in Chandigarh are considered modernist masterpieces, though most are in a state of neglect. In 2010, chairs from the assembly building were auctioned in London. A diplomatic attempt to stop the sale failed, as the items were "condemned" and deemed unfit for use. == Design ==