Overview
The ancient name of the city is Prayag and is believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world. At the Triveni Sangam, the Sangam or confluence of the sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswathi. It is also the site of the famous Kumbh Mela that is held once in every 12 years. The Fort – Built in 1583 by Emperor Akbar, the impressive fort here overlooks the river. Situated here are the underground Patalpuri Temple and the Undying Banyan tree, also known as Akshai Veta. This tree is mentioned by the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang, writes of pilgrims sacrificing their lives by leaping to death from it, in order to seek salvation. Anand Bhavan-the ancestral home of the Nehru family. Here historic meetings were held during the Indian struggle for Independence. Allahabad is associated with 7 out of 14 Prime Ministers of India. Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar were all either born in Allahabad or were alumni of Allahabad University or got elected from a constituency in Allahabad.
