According to Hindu mythology, the creator God Lord Brahma chose a piece of land at which the three sacred rivers - The Ganga, The Yamuna and The mythical Saraswati - would flow into a quiet confluence. That land, now known as Allahabad ("City of God"), is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations of India. Today's Allahabad is on the site of the ancient holy city of Prayag ("confluence of rivers"), one of four sites of the Kumbha Mela.
In 1575, the Mughal Emperor Akbar realized the area's strategic importance as a waterway and founded a lavish city there, which he named Allahabad. The monarch also built a impressive fort on the riverbanks, which still stands today.
Under British rule, Allahabad was the capital of the United Provinces till
the 1920s. It was well-known as an educational centre, and in the first few decades of the 20th century, the Allahabad University had earned for itself the epithet of "Oxford of the East" It was also a major literary centre for Hindi, and numerous litterateurs were connected to it in some way or the other.
Allahabad was at the forefront of political activitiesthe 1920s. It was well-known as an educational centre, and in the first few decades of the 20th century, the Allahabad University had earned for itself the epithet of "Oxford of the East" It was also a major literary centre for Hindi, and numerous litterateurs were connected to it in some way or the other.
during India's struggle for independence. Alfred Park in Allahabad was the site where, in 1931, noted revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad killed himself when surrounded by the British police. After independence, the park was renamed as Chandra Shekhar Azad Park. Modern Allahabad is an important city where history, culture and religion meet like the three sacred rivers.
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