| Allahabad इलाहाबाद الاهابا | |
| State - District(s) | Uttar Pradesh - Allahabad |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation | 63.07 km² - 98 m |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2001) - Density | 1,050,000 - 16,667/km² |
| Mayor | |
| Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle | - 211 0xx - +91 (0)532 - UP-70 |
Image:Allahabad surroundings.gif
Allahabad pronunciation (Hindi: इलाहाबाद; Urdu: الاهاباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The name was given to the city by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1583. The "Allah" in the name does not come from Allah as God's name in Islam but from the Din-Ilahi, which was the religion founded by Akbar. In Indian alphabets it is spelt "Ilāhābād": "ilāh" is Arabic for "a god" (but in this context from Din-Ilahi), and "-ābād" is Persian for "place of".
The modern city has been renamed and is now more popularly known as "Prayag" because of the famous Kumbh Melas organised here. The city is known as Prayag (Sanskrit for "place of sacrifice" and is considered to be the spot where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world). It is one of four sites of the Kumbha Mela, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. It has a position of importance in the Hindu religion and mythology since it is situated at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and Hindu belief says that the invisible Sarasvati River joins here also. This belief may have arisen because the real ancient Sarasvati River dried up because its main headwater was diverted eastwards into the upper Yamuna and thus its water reached Allahabad along with the Yamuna.
Because 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.
The city has Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology and also the Indian Institute of Information Technology, two of the most renowned technical institutes in India.
Allahabad or Prayagraj is a historian's paradise. History lies embedded everywhere, in its fields, forests and settlements. Forty-eight kilometres, towards the southwest, on the placid banks of the Jamuna, the ruins of Kaushambi, capital of the Vatsa kingdom and a thriving center of Buddhism, bear silent testimony to a forgotten and bygone era. On the eastern side, across the river Ganga and connected to the city by the Shastri Bridge is Jhusi, identified with the ancient city of Pratisthanpur, capital of the Chandra dynasty. About 58 kilometres northwest is the medieval site of Kara with its impressive wreckage of Jayachand's fort. Sringverpur, another ancient site discovered relatively recently, has become a major attraction for tourists and antiquarians alike.
Prayag is an extremely important and integral part of the Ganga Yamuna Doab, and its history is inherently tied with that of the Doab region, right from the inception of the town.
The city was known earlier as Prayāga - a name that is still commonly used. That it is an ancient town, is illustrated by references in the Vedas (circa 1500 B.C.) to Prayag, where Brahma, the Hindu Creator of the Universe, is believed to have attended a sacrificial ritual. Excavations have revealed Northern Black Polished ware objects in Prayag, further corroborating the conjecture that Prayag existed as a town as early as 1100 B.C.
When the Aryans first settled in what they termed the Aryavarta, or Madhyadesha, Prayag or Kaushambi was an important part of their territory. The Vatsa (a branch of the early Indo-Aryans) were rulers of Hastinapur (near present day Delhi), and they established the town of Kaushambi near present day Prayag. They shifted their capital to Kaushambi when Hastinapur was destroyed by floods.
In the times of the Ramayana, Prayag was made up of a few rishis' huts at the confluence of the sacred rivers, and much of the vats country was continuous jungle. Lord Rama, the main protagonist in the Ramayana, spent some time here, at the Ashram of Sage Bharadwaj, before proceeding to nearby Chitrakoot.
The Doaba region, including Prayag was controlled by several empires and dynasties in the ages to come. It became a part of the Mauryan and Gupta empires of the east and the Kushan empire of the west before becoming part of the local Kannauj empire which became very powerful.
Objects unearthed in Prayag indicate that it was part of the Kushana empire in the 1st century AD. In his memoirs on India, Huien Tsang, the Chinese chronicler who travelled through India during Harshavardhana's reign (A.D. 607-647), writes that he visited Prayag in A.D. 643.
When the Muslim rule came, Prayag became a part of the Delhi Sultanate when the town was annexed by Mhd Ghori in A.D. 1193. Then the Mughals took over from the slave rulers of Delhi and under them Prayag rose to prominence once again.
Acknowledging the strategic position of Prayag in the Doaba or the "Hindostan" region, at the confluence of its defining rivers which had immense navigational potentials, Akbar built a magnificent fort – one of his largest – on the banks of the holy Sangam and re-christened the town as Illahabad in 1575. (The Akbar fort has an Ashokan pillar and some temples, and is largely a military barracks. On the southwestern extremity of Prayag lies Khusrobagh that antedates the fort and has three mausoleums, including that of Jehangir's first wife – Shah Begum.)
It was from Prayag that Prince Salim, later to become emperor Jehangir, revolted against his father, the Mughal emperor Akbar. In 1602, prince Salim held a parallel imperial court in Akbar's fort here, ignoring the royal summons to leave Prayag and proceed to Agra. However, before his death in 1605, Akbar named Salim his successor.
Before colonial rule was imposed over Prayag, the city was rocked by Maratha incursions. But the Marathas also left behind two beautiful eighteenth century temples with intricate architecture.
In 1765, the combined forces of the Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam lost the war of Buxar to the British. Although, the British did not take over their states, they established a garrison at the Prayag fort --- realising its strategic position as the gateway to the north west. Governor General Warren Hastings later took Prayag from Shah Alam and gave it to Awadh alleging that he had placed himself in the power of the Marathas.
In 1801 the Nawab of Awadh ceded the city to the British East India Company. Gradually the other parts of Doaba and adjoining region in its west (including Delhi and Ajmer-Mewara regions) were won by the British. When these north western areas were made into a new Presidency called the "North Western Provinces of Agra", its capital was Agra. Prayag remained an important part of this state.
In 1834, Prayag became the seat of the Government of the Agra Province and a High Court was established. But a year later both were relocated to Agra.
In 1857,Prayag was active in the Indian Mutiny. After the mutiny, the British truncated the Delhi region of the state, merging it with Punjab and transferred the capital of North west Provinces to Prayag, which remained so for the next 20 years.
In 1877 the two provinces of Agra (NWPA) and Awadh were merged to form a new state which was called the United Provinces. Prayag was the capital of this new state till the 1920s.
It was a well-known centre of education (dating from the time of the Buddha), and in the first few decades of the 20th century. Allahabad University was established on 23rd September 1887. it is the fourth oldest university of India after Calcutta, Bombay and Madras University. In the 19th century, the Allahabad University earned the epithet of 'Oxford of the East'. Its jurisdiction at the time extended over a large part of north and north west India (today's U.P, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and M.P.). Between 1887 and 1927 at least thirty-eight different institutions and colleges of this area were affiliated to Allahabad University. Allahabad University is also a major literary centre for Hindi. It also holds the world record for the world's first letter delivered by airmail (from Prayag to Naini, just a few km. across the river Yamuna) (1911).
During the 1857 rebellion there was an insignificant presence of European troops in Prayag. Taking advantage of this, the rebels brought Prayag under their control. It was around this time that Maulvi Liaquat Ali Khan unfurled the banner of revolt. Long after the mutiny had been quelled, the establishment of the High Court, the Police Headquarters and the Public Service Commission, transformed the city into an administrative center, a status that it enjoys even today.
The fourth session of the Indian National Congress was held in the city in 1888. At the turn of the century Prayag also became a nodal point for the revolutionaries. The Karmyogi office of Sundar Lal in Chowk sparked patriotism in the hearts of many young men. Nityanand Chatterji became a household name when he hurled the first bomb at the European club. During the movement for independence, Prayag was at the forefront of all political activities. Alfred Park in Prayag was the site where, in 1931, the revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad killed himself when surrounded by the British Police. Anand Bhavan, and an adjacent Nehru family home, Swaraj Bhavan, were the center of the political activities of the Indian National Congress. In the climactic years of the freedom struggle, thousands of satyagrahis, led, inter alia, by Purshottam Das Tandon, Bishambhar Nath Pande and Narayan Dutt Tewari, went to jail. And when freedom finally came, the first Prime Minister of free India, Jawahar Lal Nehru, and Union ministers like Mangla Prasad, Muzaffar Hasan, K. N. Katju, Lal Bahadur Shastri, all were from Prayag.
Prayag was the birthplace of Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Nehru family estate, called the Anand Bhavan, is now a museum. It was also the birthplace of his daughter Indira Gandhi, and the home of Lal Bahadur Shastri, both later Prime Ministers of India. In addition Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar were also associated with Prayag. Thus Prayag has the distinction of being the home of several Prime Ministers in India's post-independence history.
The first seeds of the idea of Pakistan were also sown in Prayag. On 29 December 1930, Allama Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address to the All-India Muslim League proposed a separate Muslim state for the Muslim majority regions of India.
Prayag division and the district was majorly reorganised a few years ago and the city was renamed again as Prayag.
The Etawah and Farrukhabad districts of the Prayag division were merged with the Agra division, while Kanpur dehat was carved out from the Kanpur district and a separate Kanpur division was created.
Parts of the western areas of Prayag were carved out to create a new district named Kaushambi. Now the new Prayag division consists of Prayag, Kaushambi and Fatehpur districts.
It is located in the southern part of the state, at , and stands at the confluence of the Ganga (Ganges), and Yamuna rivers. The region was known in antiquity as the vats country. To its south west is the Bundelkhand region, to its east and south east is the Baghelkhand region, to its north and north east is the Awadh region and to its west is the (lower) doab of which it itself is a part.
Allahabad stands at a strategic point both geographically and culturally. An important part of the Ganga-Yamuna Doaba region, it is the last point of the Yamuna river and is the last frontier of the Indian west.
The land of the Allahabad district that falls between the Ganga and Yamuna is just like the rest of Doab --- fertile but not too moist, which is especially suitable for the cultivation of wheat. The non-doabi parts of the district (which were not originally a part of Allahabad but were added later) viz., the southern and eastern part of the district are somewhat similar to those of adjoining Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand regions, viz. dry and rocky.
The Indian GMT longitude that is associated with Jabalpur, also passes through Allahabad, which is 343 km north of Jabalpur on the same longitude.
Allahabad City has a population of 1,050,000 as per the 2001 census with about 580,000 males and 470,000 females. It lists as the 32nd most populous city in India. Allahabad has an area of about 65 km² and is 98 m above sea level. Languages spoken in and around Allahabad include Hindi, English, Urdu, and some Bengali, and Punjabi. There is a small population of Kashmiris in the city. An increasing number of people from Bihar have also joined Allahabad in the past two decades, many of whom are students.
The dialect of Hindi spoken in Allahabad is Awadhi, although khari boli is most commonly used in the city area. All major religions are practised in Allahabad.
Allahabad experiences all four seasons. The summer season is from April to June with the maximum temperatures ranging between 40 to 45 °C. Monsoon begins in early July and lasts till September. The winter season falls in the months of December, January and February. Temperatures in the cold weather could drop to freezing with maximum at almost 12 to 14 °C. Allahabad also witnesses severe fog in January resulting in massive traffic and travel delays. It does not snow in Allahabad.
Lowest temperature recorded −2 °C; highest, 48 °C. [5]
Image:Mahakumbh.jpg The word 'Mela' is fair in Hindi. Except in the years of the Kumbha Mela and the Ardha Kumbha Mela (Ardha is half in Hindi, hence the Ardha Kumbha Mela is held every 6th year), the Magh Mela takes place every year in the month of Magh (Jan - Feb) of the Hindu calendar. Kumbh Mela (the Urn Festival) occurs four times every twelve years and rotates between four locations: Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.
In Allahabad, these religious fairs take place at the Sangam (confluence) of the Yamuna and the Ganges River which is holy in Hinduism. In the Kumbha Mela of 2001, which was called the Maha (great) Kumbha Mela because of an alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter that occurred only every 144 years, almost 75 million people visited the banks of the river to take part in the festivals. During the Melas, an entire township is built on the river's banks, with functioning hospitals, fire stations, police stations, restaurants and other facilities.
Perhaps Allahabad is most famous for the literary geniuses it has produced. Most of the famous writers in Hindi literature had a connection with the city. Notable amongst them were Mahadevi Varma, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala', Upendra Nath 'Ashk' and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Another noteworthy poet was Raghupati Sahay who was more famous by the name of Firaq Gorakhpuri. Firaq was an outstanding literary critic and one of major Urdu poets of the last century. Both Firaq and Bachchan were professors of English at Allahabad University. Firaq Gorakhpuri and Mahadevi Varma were awarded the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in the Republic of India in 1969 an 1982 respectively.
The famous English author and Nobel Laureate (1907) Rudyard Kipling also spent time at Allahabad working for The Pioneer as an assistant editor and overseas correspondent.
Allahabad is well known for its sporting activities in the fields of Cricket, Badminton, Tennis and Gymnastics. There are several sports complexes that can be used by both amateurs and professionals. These include the Madan Mohan Malaviya Cricket stadium, Mayo Hall Sports Complex and the Boys' High School & College Gymnasium. There are several swimming facilities throughout the city as well.
Allahabad has a prominent place in Indian Gymnastics. It is the leading team in SAARC and Asian countries.
Mohammed Kaif member of Indian Cricket team hails from this city.
Allahabad is served by the Bamrauli Air Force Base (IXD) and is linked to Delhi and Kolkata by Air Sahara. Other airports in the vicinity are Varanasi (147 km) and Lucknow (210 km).
National Highway 2 runs through the center of the city. Allahabad is located in between Delhi and Kolkata on this highway. Another highway that links Allahabad is National Highway 27 that is 93 km long and starts at Allahabad and ends at Mangawan in Madhya Pradesh connecting to National Highway 7. There are other highways that link Allahabad to all parts of the country. Allahabad also has three bus stations catering to different routes - at Zero Road, Leader Road and Civil Lines.
Tourist taxis, auto-rickshaws and tempos are available for local transport. There is also a local bus service that connects various parts of the city. But the most covenient method of local transport is the cycle rickshaw. Rates are not fixed and one needs to bargain.
Served by Indian Railway. Allahabad is the headquarters of the North Central Railways Zone, and is well connected by trains with all major cities, namely, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Jaipur. Allahabad has four railway stations - Prayag Station, City Station (Rambagh), Daraganj Station and Allahabad Junction (the main station).
Allahabad is governed by a number of bodies, the prime being the Allahabad Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corporation) and Allahabad development Authority, which is responsible for the master planning of the city. Other facilities are provided by various other government utilities. For example, water supply and sewage system is maintained by Jal Nigam, a subsidiary of Nagar Nigam. Power supply is by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited. Nagar Nigam also runs a bus service in the city and suburban areas. Having been seat of government during the period the British ruled the country, many important provincial offices like Police Headquarters, Directorate of Education, Board of Secondary Education, Board of Revenue are located here besides the High Court of Judicature. In addition to other offices of the federal government, like the Commissionerate of Income Tax and Central Excise and Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension), office of Linguistic Minorities etc., the Principal Accountant General, representative of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Supreme Audit Institution of the country) also is headquarterd here.
Allahabad is an important station for Indian Railways. It has the headquarters of the Central Organisation for Railway Electrification. This organisation carry out all the electrification work of Indian Railways. Allahabad is also the head quarters of North Central zone of Indian Railway.
Phone services in Allahabad are by BSNL, Airtel, Hutch, Reliance India Mobile and Tata Indicom. Internet services are provided by BSNL, Sify iWay and Reliance.
Allahabad is home to a large number of important government offices. Some of them are the Public Service Commission, Board of Revenue, Education Directorate, State board of Education, Police Head Quarters(UP), Income Tax and Excise Tribunal, AG of UP, numerous railway offices and a number of Defence establishments. There are as many as five defence establishments in and around the city. They are
Bamrauli air field is the headquarters of the Central Air Command of India.
Allahabad is the seat of the Allahabad High Court, the High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh (along with a bench at Lucknow). It is one of the largest courts in the world in terms of the number of judges.
Allahabad lacks in terms of entertainment. However, the city is undergoing rapid transformation with opening of a number of shopping malls, multiplexes and restaurants. Still the city has very sedate pace of life compared to other large cities.
Traditionally, the main market areas of the city are Civil Lines, Chowk and Katra. However, newer market places have developed in recent years, Allahpur being the prime example. One of the most oldest Shops and the destination point for people willing to shop for fabrics is Gaya Prasad Gokul Prasad, situated in Chowk area which has been catering to the needs of the people of Allahabad since last 100 years approx.
The most happening place for traditional FOOD items is LokNath in heart of the city in chowk area. Here you will find 3 famous shops serving the people since last 100 years. Nirala Misthan Bhandar (Sweets and CHATS), Mata deen and sons (gazak), and Hari Ram and Sons (Namkeens) are providing food items of pure desi ghee.
http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/delup.htm
http://www.neelumsarangour.com
http://www.gohindi.com/ Leading Language hosting company from India has its Head office In [Allahabad] itself.
| Hindu Holy Cities in India | Image:Aum.svg |
|---|---|
| Allahabad • Ayodhya • Badrinath • Dharmasthala • Dwarka • Gaya • Guruvayur • Haridwar • Hrishikesh • Kalahasti • Kanchipuram • Kedarnath • Kollur • Mathura • Mayapur • Nashik • Nathdwara • Puri • Rameswaram • Sabarimala • Somnath • Sringeri • Srirangam • Tirumala - Tirupati • Ujjain • Varanasi • Vrindavan |
| Million plus cities in India |
| Agra • Ahmedabad • Allahabad • Amritsar • Asansol • Bangalore • Bhopal • Chennai • Coimbatore • Delhi • Dhanbad • Faridabad • Hyderabad • Indore • Jabalpur • Jaipur • Jamshedpur • Kanpur • Kochi • Kolkata • Lucknow • Ludhiana • Madurai • Meerut • Mumbai • Nagpur • Nashik • Patna • Pune • Rajkot • Surat • Vadodara • Varanasi • Vijayawada • Visakhapatnam |
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