Even when Corbusier is accused of not sparing enough thought for hundreds of people who would converge on the buildings designed by him, city residents couldn't care less. This is probably what makes Chandigarh the happiest city in the country, as revealed in an IMRB International survey last week.

Chandigarh's first Indian chief architect M N Sharma, who worked closely with Corbusier on the project, insists, "Chandigarh gave a new way of life and was the biggest experiment in the contemporary history of planning and architecture. That is why people from all over the world still come here to learn. People are very proud of the city."

"It is wrong to say that he did not speak against Nazis. I think it did not matter to him. He was an architect and if Hitler or Mussolini gave him work, he wanted to show his worth and give a message to the world through his craft. He was not a political person and he did not speak for and against any political party," he says. "When Chandigarh project started, people had very high aspirations and it is actually the most beautiful city to be born in and the city has shown the capacity to absorb more population than what it was originally planned for. From 5 lakh people, Chandigarh now has a population of 12 lakh," he adds.