#546 - The Boy Who Built a Secret Garden : Nek Chand

by Lavanya Karthik

“The Boy Who Built a Garden : Nek Chand” by Lavanya Karthik. Published by Duckbill. A charmingly illustrated story of a little boy who grew up to be the man responsible for the incredible rock garden in Chandigarh.

Rock Garden is a well known landmark now in Chandigarh. However it was created in secrecy by a man called Nek Chand Saini. The book is not just about him but also about the city of Chandigarh as well. Little Nek lived in the village of Barian Kalan in Punjab. He spent his time creating his own unique garden using unusual things like stones, sticks, bits of shattered pots, slivers of bangles and other assorted things which he came across. He would create characters from stories and songs that he had heard using these in his garden. His world would be changed forever when India got independence in 1947.

Nek and his family were forced to leave their home as Punjab was torn apart by the partition. They made their way to Qadian near Gurdaspur in India. Nek’s garden became just a memory like the home that he had lost forever. The city of Chandigarh was being built after demolishing many villages. Nek was part of building the city as a road inspector. When he walked through the remains of the villages that had existed there and saw what had been thrown away, the seeds of an idea were planted in his mind. He saw them not just as waste but the remnants of stories and lives lived once upon a time. They brought back memories of a home that he had lost. Read the book to know about how the unwanted treasures that Nek found resulted in the iconic Rock Garden.

The book is not just an ode to Rock Garden and Nek Chand but the city of Chandigarh as well. The illustrations are stunning and a visual treat to say the least. They bring the powerful narrative to life in front of our eyes. They have been inspired by the sculptures in Rock Garden as well as the architecture of the city of Chandigarh. My ten year old and I were captivated by this delightful book. It is amazing to know how a man persevered relentlessly to create such a beautiful place out of discarded materials. By doing so, he gave life to his memories and made many people happy by making them relive their memories. The story is a perfect example of how sustainability can be put into practice. The creativity, brilliance, determination, passion, courage and vision of a single person behind this one of a kind garden is awe inspiring and worthy of celebrating. And what better way than a book for children. After all this story deserves to be spread everywhere. We were happy to know that Nek Chand was awarded the Padma Shri for his unique work. A visit to the Rock Garden has been added to our wish list now :) This is the eleventh book from the wonderful “dreamers” series which is one of our favourites.

P.S - The previous books from the series are on Satyajit Ray, Teejan Bai, R.K.Narayan & R.K.Laxman, Janaki Ammal, Salim Ali, Bachendri Pal, P.C.Sorcar, Mahasweta Devi, J.R.D.Tata and P.T.Usha.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 7 and above.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India (Duckbill), for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!