Allahabad is one of the largest cities of Uttar Pradesh. It has a population of more than 10 lakh people and is spread over 63 sq. Kms. It is surrounded on three sides by two rivers- Ganga and Yamuna.
Allahabad was known as Prayaga in the olden times. It was Akbar, who built a large fort in 1575 on the banks of the river and re-christened Prayaga as Illahabad, which became Allahabad later. British merged Delhi region with Punjab and made Allahabad as capital. In 1877, Agra and Awadh were merged to make 'United Provinces' for which Allahabad was made capital until1920.
Many famous personalities are associated with Allahabad. Some of them are political leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chandra Shekhar, famous writers like Mahadevi Varma, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi, Upendra Nath, and Harivansh Rai Bachchan etc. Raghupati Sahay whose pen name was Firaq Gorakhpuri was very popular literary critic and an Urdu poet. Other famous writers were Rajendra Yadav, Mamta and Ravindra Kalia, Kamaleshwar, Doodhnath Singh etc.
Urdu literature takes a prime spot in the culture of Allahabad. Akbar Allahabadi is the most famous Poet of modern Urdu literature.
Best For: * Triveni Sangam * Mahakumbh * Urdu poetry
Allahabad experiences extreme temperatures. It is very hot in summer. Temperature during March to June fluctuates between a minimum of 25 deg Centigrade to a maximum of 2 deg Centigrade. It does not rain much in Allahabad. The temperature from June to November is between 21 deg Centigrade to 33 deg Centigrade. Winter is very cold. The temperature drops down to 7 deg Centigrade and reaches a maximum of 22 deg Centigrade during December - February.
The best time to visit is November to February.
The currency used is Indian Rupees. Many shops and establishments accept Credit/Debit cards. However carrying cash is advisable to save time in finding money change centres. One of the money exchanger is State Bank Of India, Kacheri Road, near district court, which is open from Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and for about 2 hours on Saturday.
Foreign nationals having valid Visas to India can enter India. Once in India, they need not have any specific travel documents to enter Allahabad.
Allahabad or Prayagraj 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, at one time capital of the Vatsa kingdom and later 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 Jhunsi, 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 has a great history and there are many places to visit in Allahabad. Kumbh mela is held in Allahabad once in 12 years. If you do not mind the crowd, you may plan to be there during that time as you can have a grand experience of your life time. The last Kumbh Mela was held in January 2001 in the Sangam, the most sacred place of Hindus.
When in Allahabad, one must visit Sangam, the confluence of three rivers Ganga,Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Other places of attraction are the Allahabad Fort built in 1583 with impressive art and architecture. The design and craftsmanship attracts all the visitors. Only part of this fort is allowed to be visited by tourists as Indian Army uses this fort.
You may like to visit the Patalpuri temple, which is an underground temple inside the Allahabad fort. Akshaya vat is a sacred tree within the temple. All visitors can not visit these and one needs a permit from the Ordnance Depot or the Tourist Office to visit these two.
Some other tourist places are the ancestral home of Nehrus- Anand Bhavan, Swaraj Bhawan, Khusrau bagh, Hanuman mandir, Allahabad museum, Minto Park, The Nag Basuki Temple, The Hanuman temple, Jawahar Planetarium, Chandra Shekar Azad Park, All Saints Cathedral etc.
Where To Eat:
In India, every big city offers you all variety of food. Allahabad is no exception. You get all kind of north Indian and Punjabi food. If you are adventurous enough to eat on roadside stall, you may give it a try here. Ensure that it is hygienic. You will find many roadside eating places on the MG Road.
One may try food at Shamiana on MG Road or at Chicken King, Spicy Bite or EI Chico.
Where To Stay:
Being one of the largest cities, there are many visitors to the city whether on business trip or on holiday. And there are plenty of hotels that cater to every ones needs and budgets.
The most popular are the star Hotels - Hotel Grand Continental, Hotel Yatri, Hotel Kanha Shyam and Hotel Allahabad Regency.
Hotel Yatri is located in the Centre of Allahabad and is ideal for the tourists visiting the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati.
Hotel Allahabad Regency is a 2 Star hotel just 2 kms from Allahabad Junction and is ideal for business travelers and business meetings
Moderately recommended. Generally two or three days are required to cover the place.
By Road:
Road transport is the best and Allahabad can be reached by road easily. Buses from and to Varanasi, Lucknow and Gorakhpur use the services of Civil Lines Bus stand where as Leader Road Bus stand handles the buses from/to Kanpur, Agra and Delhi.
By Air: Some flights from/to Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow operate using the Bamrauli Airport which is 15 km from the city. However, it is recommended to go to Varanasi Airport which is 150 kms from Allahabad and take a Taxi to Allahabad. The taxi ride may take approximately 4 hours. Another option is Lucknow Airport which is about 210 kms from Allahabad.
major Airport:
Allahabad Airport is called Bhamrauli. This is about 18 kms from the city. Not many airlines operate to Allahabad. The nearest operational airport is Varanasi Airport. Generally people reach Varanasi and drive down to Allahabad.
By Train: Allahabad is well connected to the rest of the country by trains. As Allahabad is situated on the Delhi-Kolkata route many superfast trains like Rajdhani, Magadh, and Shramjeevi pass through Allahabad. Travel time to Delhi by train is about 10 hours from Allahabad.
