Allahabad is among the largest cities in Uttar
Pradesh.One of the oldest cities in India.
A City of many dimensions is what befits a description of
Allahabad. In addition to being a major pilgrimage centre, the
city has played an important part in the formation of modern
India. Hindu mythology states that Lord Brahma, the creator god,
chose a land for 'Prakrishta Yajna'. This land, at the confluence
of three holy rivers - Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, blessed by
gods, came to be known as Prayag' or 'Allahabad'.
Foreseeing the sancity of the place, Lord Brahma also called it
as 'Tirth Raj' or 'King of all pilgrimage centres'. The
Scriptures - Vedas and the great epics - Ramayana and
Mahabharata, refer to this place as Prayag.
During the time of the Mughals a massive fort was built in 1583,
by emperor Akbar. who also built a fort at the point of
confluence of the 3 rivers.
Centuries followed. Allahabad became the headquarters of North
Western Provinces, after being shifted from Agra. Well preserved
relics of the British impact includes the Muir College and the
All Saints Cathedral.
Many important events in India's struggle for freedom, took place
here - the emergence of the first Indian National Congress in
1885, the beginning of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence movemebt in
1920.
Anand Bhawan, the home of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is now a
shrine to the independence movement. Now maintained as a Museum,
allows visitors to peer through glass screens into the interior
to see how the first family lived.
This confluence of history, culture and religion makes Allahabad,
a unique city.
