R L Goyal, father of Rajat, with a statue, sculpted by Nek Chand, at his residence in Chandigarh on Saturday. (Express Photo by Sahil Walia
Written by Atman Sandhu
“NEK CHAND was an extremely calm and patient man. His focus and dedication towards his work is the secret behind his success,” says R L Goyal, a close friend of Nek Chand. They met in 1975 and developed a close bond over the years.
“Nek Chand invited me to visit the Rock Garden and gave me a personal tour of the place, explaining every small detail of his work,” recalls Goyal.
Nek Chand gifted Goyal many of his works over their nearly 30-year-long association, but Goyal’s favourites are a watchman holding a stick and a man with a flower pot on his head, which grace his home in Sector 19.
“Nek Chand’s passion for his art was unmatched. He would talk about it all day long and was very open to suggestions and new ideas. Once he asked me to send over any waste material I had at home. So, I sent him around 60 old records. Nek would only talk about putting Chandigarh on the world map. He wanted Rock Garden to become the essence of Chandigarh. I fondly remember him for his warmth and I am proud that I have his works, which bring back so many fond memories,” sums up Goyal.