Rock by Rock: The Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand by Jennifer Bradbury

 Nek Chand lived in the busy city of Chandigarh, India. Ned was homesick. He was one of millions of Indians who had been displaced due to the partition of India into two countries: India for Hindus and Pakistani for Muslims. The northern part of India became Pakistan, a country for Muslims. Nek and his family were Hindu and no longer welcome in their village so they fled south to India. Nek missed his village with its beautiful rosewood trees.

Years later, Nek began exploring the patch of forest near the edge of the city. He began to clear the forest of fallen branches and winding vines. He brought in stones, placing them in rings or using them to line the paths he made. Soon Nek began to collect other materials as well including broken dishes, tiles, discarded cement powder and wire bangles. He spent time hunting through the rubble of the villages that the new city had been built on.

From these discarded items, Nek began creating beautiful things: figures made from wire, concrete, bangles, animal figures from cloth. He made paths and tunnels, arches and stairs. As time passed, Nek continued to plan. Until one day his secret garden was discovered. Workmen planning a new road hacked their way into Nek's garden and were stunned at what they found. 

The city leaders were supportive of what Nek Chand had created and they offered him a job working full time on his rock garden. Soon his garden was open to the public and people came in large numbers.

When one city official grew jealous and tried to destroy the garden, the people came forward to protect their beloved space.

Discussion

Nek Chand Saini was born December 15, 1924 in Shakargarh "township" located in what is now Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan. When he was born his town was located in the Gurdaspur district in British India. With the Partition in 1947, Nek and his family moved to India. In 1951 Nek began to work as a road inspector for the Public Works Department.

In 1958, he began collecting rocks, discarded and recyclable items from the villages that were being demolished to make way for the new city of Chandigarh. In 1965 Nek was working creating his garden in secret at night and on weekends in forest reserve. He was inspired by the building of Chandigarh, watching how the concrete was being used. Building in the reserve was forbidden but Nek began creating sculptures and settings of Indian life. 

It wasn't until 1975 that his garden was discovered by city workers. At first city officials wanted the garden destroyed but pressure from the people managed to save his work. Eventually the garden was designated a "Rock Garden" and opened to the public in 1976. At this time, Nek was given a salary and was asked to work full time designing the garden. 

With the recognition of the area as a special garden, Nek began to design his space in earnest, creating plazas, a waterfall, paths and over five thousand concrete figures. He also created a miniature village. Some of his statues have been exhibited in shows around the world. In 1997, the Nek Chand Foundation was created to protect and administer the garden. Thousands of people visit the Rock Garden of Chandigarh every day. Nek passed away in 2015 at the age of ninety. You can read more about the different phases of Nek Chand's work in the garden in an  article published in the Winter/ Spring 2000 issue of The Folk Art Messenger.

 Jennifer Bradbury presents all the interesting details of Nek's story in an easy to read manner, accompanied by the colourful digital artwork of illustrator Sam Boughton. The story of Nek Chand, not well known outside of India, will inspire young readers as they learn about a man struggling to cope with displacement and loss. Bradbury writes that Nek's missing his village,  "...moved from his heart into his hands, and his hands knew what to do." Creating the garden helped heal Nek from his experiences of the Partition. Nek took his disappointment and loss, channeling it into a creative endeavour that brought people together. His resourcefulness at using discarded materials allowed him to create a space where people could explore, come together and enjoy. This was important for a country like India, where differences had resulted in the partition of a country into two new countries, separating people of different religions . Instead of making a monument to differences, Nek Chand created a space for everyone, based on his own country's culture. Nek Chand's garden remains a space where people can come together.

Readers will find  more information in A Note and a Timeline located at the back of the book, both of which include a few photographs. 

Nek Chand garden image credit: https://www.greatgardensoftheworld.com/gardens/rock-garden/

Book Details:

Rock by Rock The Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand by Jennifer Bradbury
Toronto: Atheneum Books For Young People    2021