HOLY CENTER of HINDU PILGRIMAGE

Allahabad, a holy center of Hindu pilgrimage is is situated at the Sangam of the three rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.

Full or Purna Kumbhamela is held here every 12 years and a half or Ardha Kumbhamela every 6 years. On those occasions millions of pilgrims bathe in the water of the confluence with the object of earning religious merits.

Allahabad is more famous as Prayag or Triveni too. The name of Prayag is associated with many tales of the hindu mythology where the name Baranavati is also met with. So it is estimated to be 4440 years old city. It is believed that Brahma(God) performed Prakrista yanga here.

In the Aryans age also allahabad was popularly known as Prayag.  Later, it became the capital of the Guptas. In 1583 A.D., the mughal emperor Akbar built the fort at the Sangam. Inside the fort lies the 11m high Ashoka pillar dating back to 232 B.C., and having insriptions of Samudragupta and Jahangir.

The city was later captured by the Marathas. It was finally ceded to the British by the Nawab  in 1801. The British got the control over Allahabad as a gift to show the loyaloty from the nawabs of ayodhya. The East India Company handed over the administration of India to British crown in 1858 in a ceremony at Minto Park in Allahabad.

 In the 20th century, the city became the nerve center of India's freedom movement.

Allahabad is also rich in Archaeological point of view. The city with a population of 8.5 million is 98 m above the sea level.