Allahabad

State: Uttar Pradesh

Main language: Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi, English

 

History:

 

Situated in the northern parts of Uttar Pradesh the city of Allahabad was given its name by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1583. The name means, 'Allah' for god in Arabic and bad means to create in Persian. The Sanskrit name of the city was Prayaga which means a place of sacrifice. The city is any historian's dream come true. On the southwest and on the banks of the Jamuna are the ruins of Kaushambi which was the capital of the Vatsa kingdom. It became a thriving center of Buddhism later on. The eastern side has the Ganges which connects it to Jhusi by the Shastri Bridge. On the north is the medieval site of Kara with wreckage of Jayachand's fort. Sringverpur. Allahabad was also the hub of the 1857 Indian Mutiny. The capital of North West Provinces was moved to Allahabad. A new state was formed called the United provinces in the year 1877 and Allahabad was made the capital of this state till the 1920's. Some of the greatest Indian leaders had been born here including Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzari Lal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh Indira Gandhi and Chandrashekhar. The city has produced 7 Prime Ministers of India.

 

Tourism and Religious significance:

 

The city has been influenced by both Islamic and Hindu culture. The city is one of the 4 sites for the Kumbh Mela. It has a vital position in the Hindu religion and mythology as it is situated at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, the holy rivers of India. There is a belief that the invisible Saraswati River also joins here. Tourists flock to the city during the Kumbh Mela. Other tourist attractions are Anand Bhawan,

Khusro Bagh, Hanuman Mandir and the Mayo Memorial Hall.

 

Geography:

 

The solar events in this city occur every 5 hours and 27.4 minutes ahead of Greenwich. Allahabad is very close to the reference points of IST or the Indian standard time which is approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich. Allahabad is -2.6 minutes behind IST. Allahabad is situated at 25°28′N, 81°50′E. Allahabad has both geographical and cultural importance. It has ideal soil for agriculture also.  The Indian GMT longitude passes through Allahabad.

 

Climate: 

 

Allahabad enjoys all the four seasons. The summer is from April to June and temperatures are from 40 to 45 °C. Monsoon start in July and lasts till September while the winter starts in December and ends with February. The city has extreme temperatures. 

 

Demography:

 

Allahabad had a population of 1,042,229 according to the 2001 census and is the 32nd most populous city in India.

 

Economy and education:

 

Allahabad is one of the fastest growing cities of Uttar Pradesh both economically and population wise also. It has rivers on three sides and only one side is connected to the mainland which has resulted in some grand and magnificent bridges here. Allahabad is also the home for some of the best institutes in India along with cultural centers. 

 

Transportation:

 

Allahabad is connected by air from Delhi and Kolkata. There are flights to Varanasi and Lucknow also. The National Highway 2 runs through the city and connects it to all main routes. Trains to all major cities are available.