Located around 200 kms from the capital of Lucknow and 150 kms from Varanasi, this ancient city is situated on the confluence of three rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
Allahabad is also one of the ancient cities of India. Earlier known as the Prayag, the city finds a mention in the epics of Mahabharata and the ancient Hindu scriptures. Prayag or Allahabad gained importance due to the confluence of the three mighty rivers in its vicinity. The Hindus believe that if the remains of the dead are immersed in the confluence, the person attains the ultimate moksha. One of the holiest cities of India, Allahabad is also a prominent centre for culture, administration, and education.
The place where the three rivers meet is called the Sangam and is the most visited site of Allahabad. It holds a religious fair every 12 years which is attended by largest number of devotees anywhere in the world, called the Kumbh Mela.
According to legend, Lord Brahma, creator of the three worlds, chose a piece of land where the three rivers would meet and flow in confluence. That piece of land was Prayag which Lord Brahma called the Tirtharaj or King of all pilgrimages.
Due to its strategic location and owing to the fertile land, the place soon gained importance and flourished as a trade centre. Prayag is mentioned by the Chinese traveler who visited India in the 6th century as flourishing centre for trade and commerce.
Allahabad remained a prominent place and improved with every rule that governed it. The Mughal emperor Akbar realizing its importance built a massive fort on the banks of the Sangam and called it Illahabas meaning the abode of Allah, the Almighty. Later the name got corrupted to Illahabad and now Allahabad. Even today the elder generation of the town calls itself Illahabadi.
Allahabad has produced many an important personalities who shaped the modern India. The first Prime Minister of free India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter, Indira Gandhi, also a Prime Minister of India with longest tenure belong to this city. The icon of modern India, the super star of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bacchhan also belongs to this place.
Today Allahabad has become an important educational and cultural centre.
