Chandigarh is a city and a union territory in India that serves as the capital of the two neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab. It was one of the early planned cities in post-independent India and is internationally known for its architecture and urban design. The master plan of the city was prepared by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. In 2015, a survey by LG Electronics ranked it as the happiest city in India on the happiness index.

Solan is at an average elevation of 1,600 meters (5,200 ft). It is known as the “Mushroom city of India” because of the vast mushroom farming in the area. Solan is crowned as the “City of Red Gold”, in reference to the bulk production of tomatoes in the area. The Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge heritage railway line, built by the British passes through Solan and is a recognized World Heritage site.