Allahabad is one of the
major cities of India, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Allahabad is the
administrative headquarters of Allahabad district and North Central Railway.
Allahabad is also connected to seven out of fourteen Prime ministers of India,
Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal
Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar, as they were born here or
were the alumni of Allahabad University or elected from a constituency of
Allahabad.
Allahabad, which means
the dwelling place of God in Persian, is one of the ancient cities of India.
Allahabad was known as Pragya (place of sacrifice) in the ancient times. It is
mentioned in the epics as the land where Brahma, the Creator as per Hindu
scriptures, offered his first sacrifice after his creation of the World.
Allahabad is also believed to be the site of Triveni Sangam, the confluence of
the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna and the mythological Sarasvati River.It is
also one of the main sites for Kumbh Mela, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain,
and Nasik.
The earliest historical
records of Allahabad can be dated back to the period of Mauryan Dynasty. Later,
it became an important territory of Gupta, Kushan and Kannauj Empires. Records
states that Guru Nanak Dev, the Founder of Sikhism, visited Prayag. The 9th
Sikh Gu Tegh Bahadur also visited Allahabad in 1666. With the Mughal invasion
in 1526, Allahabad became a part of Mughal Empire. Later, British occupied
Allhabad and made it their garrison town. This city played an important role in
the First Freedom Struggle of India in the year 1857. The city also became the
venue for the annual convention of Indian National Congress in 1888 and 1892.
Allahabad was the epicenter of political activities of Indian National Congress,
as the Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan,the homes of Nehru Family, are situated
here. Post-Independence, Allahabad shot to fame when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
became the first Prime Minister of India.
Allahabad is bounded by
Baghelkhand region in its south and southeast, mid Ganges valley or Purvanchal
to its east, Bundelkhand to its southwest and Awadh to its north and northeast.
Allahabad, together with Kaushambi forms the Lower Doab region. Allahabad is a
prominent part of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab region and is the last frontier of
West India.
To reach Allahabad is
easy as it is well connected to other parts of India by rail, road and air. The
best time to visit Allahabad is from December to February, when the climate is
mild and pleasant.