Allahabad

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.