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Rose Festival in Chandigarh: three days in the Rose Garden
Hundreds of rose varieties in bloom, and a whole city strolling among them
The Rose Festival is one of Chandigarh's oldest civic events: three days every year in February or March, run by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh at the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden in Sector 16 and the neighbouring Leisure Valley. It comes at the end of the garden's main bloom, which runs from December to February, and fills it with competitions, cultural programmes, stalls and music. The Municipal Corporation announces each year's dates in January or early February.
The Rose Festival is one of Chandigarh's oldest civic events, built around the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden in Sector 16, a garden that exists because the city's plan gave each sector its green space and then filled them with specialist collections.
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh sets the dates each year and announces them in January or early February.
The legend
In 1967 a rose garden was laid out in Sector 16 of Chandigarh.
It was founded by Mohinder Singh Randhawa, Chandigarh's first chief commissioner, who also brought many of the city's avenue trees.
The garden was named after Zakir Husain, President of India.
Today it holds some 50,000 bushes of 1,600 varieties and is called the largest rose garden in Asia.
The roses peak from December to February, and in February the garden is given over to the Rose Festival.
Customs
Prince and Princess
Children dress up for the Rose Prince and Princess contest.
Contests
Photographers, gardeners, landscapers and bonsai growers from the city and nearby compete.
Music in the garden
Concerts play between the beds, with food and drink stalls alongside.
Words of the festival
गुलाब
gulab
"rose" in Hindi and Urdu
Festival of Gardens
the name Chandigarh's tourism site gives the festival
Sector 16
the planned sector of Chandigarh where the rose garden lies
True or myth
❌ Myth. It also has medicinal trees: bael, bahera, harar, camphor and yellow gulmohar.
✅ True. The festival is just the peak; the roses can be visited in any month.
What happens over the three days
Chandigarh Tourism lists the Rose Festival as an event on the national calendar, held over three days at the Rose Garden in Sector 16 and Leisure Valley. The city's tourism site also calls it the Festival of Gardens. It is organised by the Municipal Corporation, and by recent counts it has passed its fiftieth edition.
The programme changes a little each year, but the shape stays the same. During the day there are competitions: flower arrangement, on-the-spot painting, rangoli, photography and baby shows, and contests for gardeners, landscapers and bonsai growers from the city and around it. Children dress up for the Rose Prince and Princess contest. In the evenings there are folk dances, musical nights, live bands, school performances and appearances by well-known artists.
Around the lawns are food courts, amusement rides for children and stalls. Stalls sell garden decor, nursery plants, garden equipment and furniture, paintings, handicrafts and books, and the Municipal Corporation exhibits its own projects in waste management, sanitation and green initiatives, alongside stalls from government departments, self-help groups and artisans.
The Rose Garden behind the festival
The Zakir Hussain Rose Garden was laid out in 1967 in Sector 16 under Mohinder Singh Randhawa, Chandigarh's first Chief Commissioner and a botanist, who also gave the city many of its avenue trees. It is named after Zakir Husain, President of India. Chandigarh Tourism gives its area as about 40 acres and some 1,600 varieties; it is often described as Asia's largest rose garden, with about 50,000 rose bushes.
Not everything in it is roses. The garden also has medicinal trees such as bael, bahera, harar and camphor, and yellow gulmohar. It is one of the gardens strung along Leisure Valley, the chain of parks and gardens that runs for about 8 km through the city from Sector 1 to Sector 53.
The roses are at their best from December to February, and the garden is open all year, so the festival is only the peak of a longer season. If you miss the festival dates, a winter visit still shows the garden in bloom, without the stalls and the crowds.
When it is held
Chandigarh Tourism says the festival is held during February and March every year, over three days. The exact dates are set by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh each year and announced in January or early February, so wait for the announcement before booking anything non-refundable.
The weather is mild: in February Chandigarh typically ranges from about 10 °C at night to 23 °C by day, with a few days of rain in the month; March is warmer, about 15 °C to 28 °C. Bring a layer for the evening programmes.
Practical tips
The festival is a busy city event, so plan the basics.
- Getting there — Chandigarh's sectors are designed to be walked inside, but distances between them are long, so the practical options are an app cab (Uber, Ola, Rapido) or a CTU city bus. Sector 16 borders Sector 17, the city centre.
- Leave the flowers — The beds are part of a working garden and of the competitions. Do not pick roses or step into the beds for photos.
- Where to stay — Chandigarh's hotels are spread across the sectors; see where to stay in Chandigarh and the city's other festivals.
FAQ
When is the Rose Festival in Chandigarh?
Every year in February or March, over three days, according to Chandigarh Tourism. The Municipal Corporation announces the exact dates in January or early February.
Where is the Rose Festival celebrated?
At the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden in Sector 16, Chandigarh, and the adjoining Leisure Valley.
How many days does the Rose Festival last?
Three days.
Who organises the Rose Festival?
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, which sets the dates and runs the competitions, stalls and cultural programme.
Can I see the Rose Garden outside the festival?
Yes. The garden is open all year, and the roses are at their best from December to February.
Sources (4)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.