ALLAHABAD [www.allahabad.8m.net]

Distance : 643km from Delhi, 220km from Lucknow, 140km from Varanasi
Population :860,000

Altitude : 98m
Temperature : Min 5oC, max 48oC

The Holy Town of Confluence of Three Sacred Rivers

Located on the banks of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga, Allahabad is one of the most famous pilgrim centres in Uttar Pradesh.

Legend has it that the ancient Saraswati River once flowed underground, and joined the Yamuna and the Ganga in Prayag, the ancient name for Allahabad.
The confluence of these holy rivers is known as Sangam, which is considered a very sacred place for Hindus. They firmly believe that after they die and are cremated, they would attain moksha, or freedom from the cycle of birth-death-rebirth, if their ashes are immersed at Sangam.

The Town OF Maha Kumbh Mela

Allahabad is also the site for the mammoth Maha Kumbh Mela that is held every 12 years, and draws over 2 million people, both from India and abroad. During the Ardh Kumbh Mela that takes place once in six years, thousands of devotees come to Allahabad to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganga and Yamuna.

The Magh Mela is held annually, in January and February, and lasts for 15 days. These melas (fairs) commemorate the struggle between gods and demons over a kumbh (pot) of amrit, the elixir of life. When the amrit surfaced from the bottom of the ocean, Lord Vishnu, the Hindu Preserver of the Universe ran away with the pot of amrit. While he was running, four drops of the elixir fell on the sites that are now the holy towns of Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain.

Other Attractiions

Allahabad is also famous for its guavas, and for its university, which is also called ‘the Oxford of the East'. An architectural wonder, the Allahabad University is where some of India's greatest leaders studied at some point or the other.

Other British monuments of interest in Allahabad are the High Court, the All Saints Cathedral and the Mayo Complex, to name a few. Khusrao Bagh and Akbar's Fort are the architectural remnants of the Mughal Empire (a.d. 1526-1857) in Allahabad.