ALLAHABAD, Uttar Pradesh

Main Attraction: SANGAM SCENARIO

Known as Prayagraj, it is one of the sacred cities of Hinduism and also one of the oldest in India which stands on the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati. The water of the two rivers are of different colours and their meeting point is visible. 

The Sangam, as it is called, is the venue of many sacred fairs and rituals and attracts thousands of pilgrims who swell to millions during the world renouned fair of Kumbh and “Ardh Kumbh”, which is held on every twelfth and sixth year respectively. 

Apart from pilgrims, religious Pundits, Sadhus, Sanyasis, and Yogis, people from all over the world assemble during this occasion. Devotee and Mahantas of different ‘Akharas’ keep visiting this pious ‘Triveni Teerath’ from time to time throughout the year, especially during the month of Magh. 

It is worthwhile to state that the foreigners are also very anxious to take a holy dip at Triveni Sangam. Here, during the month of Magh, ‘Kalpvas’ which is undertaken by numerous devotees for salvation is another interesting and important feature of this religious pilgrimage centre of Hinduism.

Brief history:

The district of Allahabad is named after its headquarters City. According to historian Badauni when Akbar visited Prayag in 1575, he founded a new city and named it Ilahabas. It is said by some that this word is a corrupt form of Ilavasa (“Ila” being the name of the mother of Pururavas Aila and “avas” meaning an abode in Sanskrit) which in passage of time became Ilahabad and then Allahabad, Pururavas Aila was the progenitor of the Chandravansh and his capital was Pratishthana (identified with modern Jhusi opposite Allahabad) in early Vedic times. Another tradition has it that the city derives its name from Alha the Banaphar hero. The earlier settlements of the Aryans were established in this city, then known as Prayag” Prayagasya Praveshshu Papam Nashwati Tatkshanam. All sins are cleaned with entry in Prayag ( the ancient name of modern time Allahabad) PRAYAG is one of the historic and mythological cities of India with glorious past and present.

Situated at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (an invisible stream), Allababad (Prayag) has been one of the most important sacred places of the Hindus since very early times. On his exile from Ayodhya, Rama proceeded towards the Ganga, on whose banks lay the kingdom of Guha (the king of Nishadas) with its capital at Shringaverapur (modern Singraur in Pargana Soraon). He then crossed Ganga and reached Prayag, where the hermitage of the sage Bharadwaja was located. On his way to meet Rama, Bharata, and his brother also stayed here. According to the Mahabharta, Brahma, the god of creation, performed sacrifices here, who gave the place, the name of Prayag (pra denoting excellence and yaga sacrifices).

During the reign of Akbar the present district of Allahabad was in the Subah of the same name. The greater part of the district lay in the sirkars of Allaabad and Kara and the rest formed part of Bhatgova (the hill territory of Bundelkhand) and the Sirkar of Manikpur. There were eleven Mahals in the Sirkar of Allahabad- Illahabas, Hadiabas, Jalalabad, Soraon, Sivgrauv, Sikanderpur, Kusi or Kiwai, Khairagarh, Mah, Bhadoli and Kantit Mah. In 1612 Rustam Safavi (who was promoted to the rank of mansabdar of 6000) was appointed governor of Allahabad. The office of faujdar being held for several years and upto 1615 by Mirza Abdu-s-Subhan. In that year Jahangir (the title taken by salim on becoming emperor) conferred the jagir of Allahabad on Jahngir Quali Khan but in the following year he was replaced by Prince Parvez. In 1620 Qasim Khan was appointed governor of that place and was given the title of Muhtashim Khan. When Shah Jahan fell seriously ill in 1657 a war of succession broke out amongst his four sons (Dara Shikoh, Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh and for some time Allahabad became the scene of their struggle against each other. In 1658 Aurangzeb declared himself emperor (having made Shah Jahan a prisioner).

During the reign of Bahadur Shah I (1707-1712) the subah of Allahbad was held by Hasan Ali Khan (better known as Abdullah Khan) one of the two Barha Saiyed brothers. In 1735 Muhammad Khan Bangesh was appointed Subedar of the province. He procured the aid of rajas of Bhadohi and Kantit and sent them to seize Arail which was held by Saiyed Mohmmad Khan on behalf of Shah Nawaz Khan. They had nearly won when Shah Nawaz Khan, marching all night from Laljalwa (in pargana Singrauv) crossed the Ganga at Kasaundhan and arrived at Arail and defeated them. Surbuland Khan was reinstated in 1736. Three years later the province was given to Amir Khan Umdat-ul- Mulk who held it till his departure in 1743. All these years the Marathas had made matters difficult for the subedars of Allahabad. In 1743 Safdar Jang (the Nawab Vizir of Awadh) who was made governor of the province of Allahabad, appointed Nawal Rai as his deputy and in 1749 the later led an army against the Bangesh domain of Farrukhabad. Shah Alam, succeded to the throne in Demember, 1759. In 1761 while returning Delhi (after his defeat in Bengal) he was interned by Shuja-ud-daula for some time at Allahabad. On August 16, 1765 a treaty was signed at Allahabad by which Shuja-uddaula ceded the district of Allhabad and Kara to Shah Alam. He also agreed to pay to the East India Company a war indemnity of fifty lakhs of rupees. Allahabad remained the residence of Shah Alam II (the emperor) till 1771.

On 14th November 1801 the district was ceded (with some other areas) by Sadat Ali Khan to the East India Company in settlement of the amounts demanded by them for the maintenance of their troops at the expense of the Nawab Vizir. From this time, Allahabad became a military station and the head quarter of the civil district. In 1834 Allahabad was made the seat of government of the north-west Provinces and a High Court of judicature was established in the year 1866 both being transferred to Agra a year later. In May 1857, the fort of Allahabad was garrisoned entirely by Indian Soldiers. The news of commencement of the freedom struggle at Meerut on May 12th, 1857 reached Allahabad two or three days later. In January, 1858 Lord Canning (the Viceroy) arrived at Allahabad and in February he announced the formation of the whole of the north-West Provinces into a lieutenant Governors province transferring the seat of government from Agra to Allahabad. The retransfer of the High Court followed in the year 1868. During the latter half of the 19th century, Allahabad became a centre of movements connected with religious reforms. In 1,880 and 1,884 branches of the Arya Samaj and Brahma Samaj were established in the district respectively. The Allahabad University was established in the year 1887. The third and fourth Gurus of the Radha Swami Sect made Allahabad their headquarters for over 40 years. The theosophical society started a school for girls in 1926. The Ram Krishna Mission established a branch in Mothiganj for the preaching of vedant philosophy.

The first meeting of the Indian National Congress held at Calcutta in the year 1883 from December 28 to 30, was attended by some delegates from Allahabad. A branch of the Home Rule league was established at Allahabad in 1917 and under its All India programme it conducted a signature campaign demanding home rule for India within the British Empire. In 1920 a meeting of the general body of the All India Khilafat conference was held at Allahabad in which Mahatma Gandhi formulated his programme of nonviolent resistance against the British Government. When Gandhi ji started the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, Allahabad took a leading part in it. The movement spread rapidly throughout the district, speaches were delivered, leaflets distributed against the government. Chandra Shekhar Azad who was the member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association and a great revolutionary was surrounded by police force in the Alfred Park. The people of the district participated actively in the Quit India Movement which commenced on August 8, 1942. India became independent on August 15, 1947. The district has the honour of having given to the country its first three prime ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi.

Allahabad is basically an Administrative and Educational city. High Court of Uttar Pradesh, Auditor General of Uttar Pradesh, Principal Controller of Defence Accounts ( Pension ) PCDA, Uttar Pradesh Madhymik Shiksha Prishad ( UP BOARD ) office, Police HeadQtrs and in education Moti Lal Nehru Regional Engg. College MNREC, Medical and Agriculture College, Indian Institute of Information Technology ( IIIT ) ITI Naini and IIFCO Phulpur , Triveni Glass are some of major industries here.