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Why do Haryana and Punjab share Chandigarh as their capital?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Map of India and surrounding countries with the state of Haryana highlighted in orange near the northern border, adjacent to New Delhi and Chandigarh. The map provides a regional context, showing neighboring countries including Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Haryana

The city of Chandigarh serves as the joint capital for both Haryana and Punjab due to the linguistic reorganization of the former state of Punjab on November 1, 1966.123

Following demands for a state based on language, the Indian government divided the region into two separate entities: the predominantly Hindi-speaking state of Haryana and the primarily Punjabi-speaking state of Punjab. Because the city of Chandigarh was located between these two new states, it was designated as a separate union territory rather than being incorporated into either one. Consequently, the city was retained as the shared administrative headquarters and capital for both states.132