PM Narendra Modi condoles death of Nek Chand

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the death of Nek Chand, the creator of the iconic Rock Garden of Chandigarh, and said he will always be remembered for his artistic genius.

"Nek Chandji will always be remembered for his artistic genius & fabulous creation that is cherished by many. May his soul rest in peace," Modi tweeted.

Chand, a Padma Shree awardee, died at the age of 90 at a hospital in Chandigarh last night.

Working as a roads inspector of Public Works Department in Punjab from 1951, Nek Chand had quietly built his magical kingdom -- the Rock Garden -- clearing a little forest patch near the famous Sukhna lake in Chandigarh.

Wastes like broken crockery, electrical fittings, glass bangles, bathroom tiles, wash basins and bicycle frames were used to make mosaic sculptures of men, women, animals and gods.

The Rock Garden, inaugurated in 1976, is now spread over an area of 40 acres and more than 2.5 lakh people from India and abroad visit it every year with the annual revenue generated from ticket sales around Rs 1.8 crore.