Allahabad

Surroundings of Allahabad, India.

This article is about the Indian city. For other uses, see Allahabad (disambiguation).

Allahabad (Hindi: à¤‡à¤²à¤¾à¤¹à¤¾à¤¬à¤¾à¤¦; Urdu: Ø§Ù„Ø§Ù‡Ø§Ø¨Ø§Ø¯ IlÄhÄbÄd) 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 "IlÄhÄbÄd": "ilÄh" is Arabic for "a god" (but in this context from Din-Ilahi), and "-ÄbÄd" is Persian for "place of".

The modern city is on the site of the ancient holy city of PrayÄga (Sanskrit for "place of sacrifice" and is 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 [1] one of the renowned technical institutes in India.

History

Allahabad 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.

Allahabad 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 PrayÄga - a name that is still commonly used.

When the Aryans first settled in what they termed the Aryavarta, or Madhydesha, Prayag or Kaushambi was an important part of their territory. The Vatsa (a branch of the early Indo-Aryans) were rulers of Hastinapur, and they established the town of Kaushambi near present day Allahabad. They shifted their capital to Kaushambi when Hastinapur was destroyed by floods.

In the times of the Ramayana, Allahabad was made up of a few rishis' huts at the confluence of the rivers, and much of what is now central/ southern Uttar Pradesh 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 Allahabad 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.

In the beginning of the Muslim rule, Allahabad was a part of the Delhi Sultanate. Then the Mughals took over from the slave rulers of Delhi and under them Allahabad rose to prominence once again.

Acknowledging the strategic position of Allahabad in the Doaba or the "Hindostan" region at the confluence of its defining rivers which had immense navigational potentials, Akbar built a magnificent fort 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 Allahabad lies Khusrobagh that antedates the fort and has three mausoleums, including that of Jehangir's first wife â€" Shah Begum. Before colonial rule was imposed over Allahabad, 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 Allahabad fort --- realising its strategic position as the gateway to the north west. Governor General Warren Hastings later took Allahabad 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. Allahabad remained an important part of this state.

In 1834, Allahabad 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, Allahabad 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 Allahabad, 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. Allahabad was the capital of this new state till the 1920s. An ancient seat of learning

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 holds the world record for the world's first letter delivered by airmail (from Allahabad to Naini, just a few km. across the river Yamuna) (1911).Allahabad's role in the freedom struggle

During the 1857 rebellion there was an insignificant presence of European troops in Allahabad. Taking advantage of this, the rebels brought Allahabad 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 Allahabad 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, Allahabad was at the forefront of all political activities. Alfred Park in Allahabad 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 Allahabad.

Allahabad 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 Allahabad. Thus Allahabad 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 Allahabad. 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.

Reorganisation of Allahabad

Allahabad division and the district was majorly reorganised a few years ago.

The Etawah and Farrukhabad districts of the Allahabad 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 Allahabad were carved out to create a new district amed Kaushambi. Now the new Allahabad division consists of Allahabad, Kaushambi and Fatehpur districts.

Geography

It is located in the southern part of the state, at , and stands at the confluence of the Ganga (Ganges), and Yamuna rivers.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.

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 west Indian culture.

The land of the Allahabad district that falls between the Doaba is just like the rest of Doaba --- fertile but not too moist, which is especially suitable for the production of wheat. The southern and eastern part of the district are somewhat similar to those of adjoining Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand regions, viz. dry and rocky.

IST is measured by the local time of the observatory in Allahabad.

Demography

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 kmÂ² 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.

Climate

Allahabad experiences all four seasons. The summer season is from April to June with the maximum temperatures ranging between 40 to 45 Â°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 Â°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 Â°C; highest, 48 Â°C. [2]

Kumbha and Magh Mela

Satellite Image of the largest religious gathering on Earth. [3][4] Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in the [[Prayaga

Kumbh Mela in India.]]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.

The Sangam seen from shores of the Ganges River.

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.

Literary Past

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.

Sports and Recreation

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.

Passenger transportation

Air

Allahabad is served by the Bamrauli airport (IXD) and is linked to Delhi and Kolkata by Air Sahara. Other airports in the vicinity are Varanasi (147 km) and Lucknow (210 km).

Road

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.

Train

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).

Government, Civic Amentites and Important Offices

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
*City Cantonment
*Chatham Lines Cantonment
*Bamrauli and Manauri air fields
*Allahabad Fort
*Ordnance depot in Naini.

Bamrauli air field is the head quarters 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.

Entertainment and Markets

Allahabad lacks in terms of entertainment avenues. 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.