Sukhna Lake is an artificial reservoir at the foot of the Shivalik Hills, dammed in 1958 to give the new city a piece of water for evening walks. The promenade along the southern shore is one of the most popular places in Chandigarh, busy from before dawn with joggers and tai chi groups, and from late afternoon with families eating chaat and drinking sugarcane juice.
You can hire a paddle-boat from the jetty, walk the full 2-kilometre embankment, or just sit on the stepped seating watching the light change over the hills. The Garden of Silence and the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary are at the far end of the lake. Migratory birds arrive in winter; mornings between November and February are the best time to spot them.