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Beautifully Located at
confluence of the Ganga , Yamuna and the Saraswati river,the city of
Allahabad forms a part of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
and is one of the largest cities of the Indian subcontinent. It is
also known as the `City of Allah` because the Mughal monarch Akbar
had founded the city by the name of `Illahabas` in 1853, which in
the later periods came to be known as Allahabad. It was Akbar who
realized the strategic importance of Allahabad being a landmark in
North India, and hence built a magnificent fort on the banks of the
holy `sangam`. The meeting point of the three rivers, Ganga, Yamuna
and Saraswati is known as Tribeni and is regarded as a very sacred
place for the Hindu community. The history of the city of Allahabad
can be traced back to ancient times and its sanctity is manifested
by reference of it in the Puranas and the two great Indian epics
Ramayana and Mahabharata. In medieval India the city of Allahabad
enjoyed the status of being the religio-cultural center of the
country. The people also indulge themselves in the vibrant festive
celebrations during the long procession of festivals held here. The
major festivals celebrated here are Kumbh Mela, Ardh Kumbh Mela,
Yoga Festival and Dussehra.
Allahabad is one of the holy cities of Hindus. The ancient name of
the city was Prayag, which in Sanskrit meant `place of sacrifice`.
The place occupies an important position in the Hindu mythology as
it is situated at the confluence of the holy rivers of Ganga and
Yamuna. A holy fair called Kumbh marks the place.
sangamAllahabad is synonymous with Sangam. The word Sangam in Hindi
means `confluence`. It is named so, because it is located on the
confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. The city of Allahabad is
the place where the remains of the dead take rest and leave for
their ethereal abode.
As solar events in Allahabad occur exactly 5 hours and 30 minutes
ahead of Greenwich, the city is the reference point for Indian
Standard Time, maintained by the city`s observatory.
History of Allahabad :
The holy city, Allahabad is mentioned in the Vedas, the Ramayana,
the Mahabharata, and in the Puranas. In the holy scriptures the city
is mentioned as Prayag. The place was considered to be the spot
where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world.
It is said that Lord Bhrama reffered to the place as `Tirtharaj` or
the `king of all pilgrimage centers.`
The name Prayag is still commonly used. The Puranas record that
Yayati(a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha) left Prayag and
conquered the region of Saptha Sindhu.
In the times of the Ramayana, Prayag was made up of a few rishis
huts at the confluence of the sacred rivers. Prayag was controlled
by several empires and dynasties. Objects unearthed in Prayag
indicate that it was part of the Kushana empire in the 1st century
AD. When Prayag came under the Muslim rule, it became part of the
Delhi Sultanate. The Mughals took over the country from the rulers
of Delhi and under them Prayag rose to prominence once again.
During the 5th and 7th centuries Huen Tsang and Fa Hien visited
Allahabad. In 1575, Akbar named Allahabad as `Illahabas.` On
realizing the strategic importance of Allahabad, he built a
magnificent fort on the banks of the holy Sangam. It was from
Allahabad that Emperor Jehangir, revolted against his father, Akbar.
In 1602, Prince Salim held a parallel court in Akbar`s fort. Before
the city fell under the clutches of colonial rule, the city was
rocked by Maratha incursions.
Culture of Allahabad
kumbh-melaThe main festival celebrated in North India is the Kumbh
Mela. This festival is celebrated once in three years by rotation,
on the banks of holy rivers as the Godavari in Nasik, the Shipra in
Ujjain, the Ganga in Haridwar and the Sangam in Allahabad. The Purna
Kumbh, which is the biggest and the most auspicious fair, which
falls once every twelve years, is always at Allahabad.
When the festival of the Kumbh at Allahabad falls on a Monday, it is
called the Somvati Amavasya. The Purna Kumbh is followed by the Ardh
Kumbh, which comes every six years when millions of pilgrims
congregate at Allahabad on the banks of the holy river. Others
festivals celebrated in Allahabad is Magh Mela, which is celebrated
in the month of February.
The main languages spoken by the people of Allahabad are Hindi,
Urdu, and English |
