Prayagraj

"Allahabad" redirects here. For other uses, seePrayagraj (disambiguation)andAllahabad (disambiguation).

Prayagraj Allahabad
Metropolis
Clockwise from top left:All Saints Cathedral,Khusro Bagh,theAllahabad High Court,theNew Yamuna BridgenearSangam,the skyline ofCivil Lines,theUniversity of Allahabad,Thornhill Mayne MemorialatChandrashekhar Azad ParkandAnand Bhavan
Etymology: King of the Prayagas
Nicknames: TheSangamCityandCity of Prime Ministers
Prayagraj Location of Prayagraj inUttar Pradesh Prayagraj Prayagraj (India)
Coordinates:25°26′09″N81°50′47″E
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Division	Prayagraj
District	Prayagraj
Earliest mention	c. 1200–1000 BCE
Established asIlahabas	1584
Established as a city	1801
Named for	Panch Prayag
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Prayagraj Municipal Corporation
• Mayor	Ganesh Kesarwani (BJP)
•Lok Sabha MP	Ujjwal Raman Singh(INC)
Area
• Total	365 km2(140.9 sq mi)
• Rank	10
Elevation	98 m (321.52 ft)
Population (2020-2011 hybrid)
• Total	1,536,218
• Rank	7thin Uttar Pradesh 36thin India
• Density	4,200/km2(11,000/sq mi)
• Metro rank	40th
Demonyms	Allahabadi Ilahabadi
Language
• Official	Hindi
• Additional official	Urdu
• Regional	Awadhi
Time zone	UTC+5:30(IST)
PIN	211001–211018
Telephone code	+91-532
Vehicle registration	UP-70
Sex ratio	852♀/1000♂
Website	prayagraj.nic.in

Prayagraj(ISO:Prayāgarāja;/ˈpreɪəˌɡrɑːdʒ,ˈpraɪə-/), also known asAllahabadorIlahabad,is ametropolisin the Indian state ofUttar Pradesh.It is the administrative headquarters of thePrayagraj district,the most populous district in the state and 13th most populous district in India and thePrayagraj division.The city is the judicial capital of Uttar Pradesh with theAllahabad High Courtbeing the highest judicial body in the state. As of 2011,Prayagraj is theseventh most populous cityin the state,thirteenthinNorthern Indiaandthirty-sixthin India, with an estimated population of 1.53 million in the city.In 2011, it was ranked the world's 40th fastest-growing city.The city, in 2016, was also ranked the third most liveableurban agglomerationin the state (afterNoidaandLucknow) and sixteenth in the country.Hindiis the most widely spoken language in the city.

Prayagraj lies close toTriveni Sangam,the "three-river confluence" of theGanges,Yamuna,and the mythicalSarasvati.It plays a central role inHindu scriptures.The city finds its earliest reference as one of the world's oldest known cities in Hindu texts and has been venerated as the holy city ofPrayāgain the ancientVedas.Prayagraj was also known asKosambiin the lateVedic period,named by theKururulers ofHastinapur,who developed it as their capital. Kosambi was one of the greatest cities in India from the late Vedic period until the end of theMaurya Empire,with occupation continuing until theGupta Empire.Since then, the city has been a political, cultural and administrative centre of theDoabregion.

Akbarnamamentions that theMughal emperorAkbarfounded a great city in Allahabad.Abd al-Qadir BadayuniandNizamuddin Ahmadmention that Akbar laid the foundations of an imperial city there which was calledIlahabasorIlahabad.In the early 17th century, Allahabad was a provincial capital in theMughal Empireunder the reign ofJahangir.In 1833, it became the seat of theCeded and Conquered Provincesregion before its capital was moved toAgrain 1835.Allahabad became the capital of theNorth-Western Provincesin 1858 and was thecapital of Indiafor a day.The city was the capital of theUnited Provincesfrom 1902to 1920and remained at the forefront of national importance during thestruggle for Indian independence.

Prayagraj is one of the internationaltourismdestinations, securing the second position in terms of tourist arrivals in the state afterVaranasi.Located in southern Uttar Pradesh, the city covers 365 km²(141 sq mi).Although the city and its surrounding area are governed by several municipalities, a large portion of Prayagraj district is governed by the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation. The city is home to colleges, research institutions and manycentralandstate governmentoffices, including High court of Uttar Pradesh. Prayagraj has hosted cultural and sporting events, including thePrayag Kumbh Melaand theIndira Marathon.Although the city's economy was built on tourism, most of its income now derives from real estate and financial services.

Etymology

The location at the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna rivers has been known in ancient times as Prayāga, which means "place of a sacrifice" in Sanskrit (pra-,"fore-" +yāj-,"to sacrifice" ).It was believed that godBrahmaperformed the very first sacrifice (yāga,yajna) in this place.

The wordprayāgahas been traditionally used to mean "a confluence of rivers". For Allahabad, it denoted the physical meeting point of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna in the city. An ancient tradition has it that a third river, invisible Sarasvati, also meets there with the two. Today, Triveni Sangam (or simply Sangam) is a more frequently used name for the confluence.

Prayagraj (Sanskrit:Prayāgarāja), meaning "the king among the fiveprayāgas",is used as a term of respect to indicate that this confluence is the most splendid one of thefive sacred confluenciesin India.

TheMughalemperorAkbarvisited the region in 1575 and was so impressed by the strategic location of the site that he ordered a fort be constructed.The fort was constructed by 1584 and calledIlahabasor "Abode of Allah", later changed toAllahabadunderShah Jahan.Speculations regarding its name, however, exist. Because of the surrounding people calling itAlhabas,has led to some peopleholding the view that it was named afterAlhafromAlha's story.James Forbes' account of the early 1800s claims that it was renamed Allahabad or "Abode of God" byJahangirafter he failed to destroy theAkshayavattree. The name, however, predates him, withIlahabasandIlahabadmentioned on coins minted in the city since Akbar's rule, the latter name became predominant after the emperor's death. It has also been thought to not have been named afterAllahbutilaha(the gods). Shaligram Shrivastav claimed inPrayag Pradipthat the name was deliberately given by Akbar to be construed as both Hindu ( "ilaha" ) and Muslim ( "Allah" ).

Over the years, a number of attempts were made by theBJP-led governments of Uttar Pradesh to rename Allahabad to Prayagraj. In 1992, the planned rename was shelved when the chief minister,Kalyan Singh,was forced to resign following theBabri Masjid demolition.2001 saw another attempt led by the government ofRajnath Singhwhich remained unfulfilled.The rename finally succeeded in October 2018 when theYogi Adityanath-led government officially changed the name of the city to Prayagraj.

History

Main article:History of Prayagraj

For a chronological guide, seeTimeline of Prayagraj.

Antiquity

The earliest mention of Prayāga and the associated pilgrimage is found inRigvedaPariśiṣṭa(supplement to theRigveda,c. 1200–1000 BCE).It is also mentioned in thePalicanons ofBuddhism,such as in section 1.7 ofMajjhima Nikaya(c. 500 BCE), wherein the Buddha states that bathing inPayaga(Skt: Prayaga) cannot wash away cruel and evil deeds, rather the virtuous one should be pure in heart and fair in action.TheMahabharata(c. 400 BCE–300 CE) mentions a bathing pilgrimage at Prayag as a means ofprāyaścitta(atonement, penance) for past mistakes and guilt.InTirthayatra Parva,before the great war, the epic states "the one who observes firm [ethical] vows, having bathed at Prayaga during Magha, O best of the Bharatas, becomes spotless and reaches heaven."InAnushasana parva,after the war, the epic elaborates this bathing pilgrimage as "geographical tirtha" that must be combined withmanasa-tirtha(tirtha of the heart) whereby one lives by values such as truth, charity, self-control, patience and others.

Prayāga is mentioned in theAgni Puranaand otherPuranaswith various legends, including being one of the places whereBrahmaattended ayajna(homa), and the confluence of river Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati site as the king of pilgrimage sites (Tirtha Raj).Other early accounts of the significance of Prayag to Hinduism is found in the various versions of thePrayaga Mahatmya,dated to the late 1st-millennium CE. These Purana-genre Sanskrit texts describe Prayag as a place "bustling with pilgrims, priests, vendors, beggars, guides" and local citizens busy along the confluence of the rivers (sangam).Prayaga is also mentioned in the Hindu epicRamayana,a place with the legendaryAshramof sageBharadwaj.

Archaeology and inscriptions

TheAshoka pillar at Prayagrajcontains many inscriptions since the 3rd century BCE. Sometime about 1575 CE,Birbalof Akbar's era added an inscription that mentions the "Magh mela at Prayag Tirth Raj".

Inscription evidence from the famed Ashoka edicts containingAllahabad Pillar– also referred to as the Prayaga Bull pillar – adds to the confusion about the antiquity of this city.Excavations have revealedNorthern Black Polished Waredating to 600–700 BCE.According toDilip Kumar Chakrabarti,"... there is nothing to suggest that modern Prayag (i e. modern Allahabad) was an ancient city. Yet it is inconceivable that one of the holiest places of Hinduism, Prayag or the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna should be without a major ancient city." Chakrabarti suggests that the city ofJhusi,opposite the confluence, must have been the "ancient settlement of Prayag".Archaeological surveys since the 1950s has revealed the presence of human settlements near thesangamsincec. 800BCE.

Along with Ashoka's Brahmi script inscription from the 3rd century BCE, the pillar has a Samudragupta inscription, as well as a Magha Mela inscription ofBirbalof Akbar's era. It states,

In the Samvat year 1632, Saka 1493, in Magha, the 5th of the waning moon, on Monday, Gangadas's son MaharajaBirbalmade the auspicious pilgrimage to Tirth Raj Prayag. Saphal scripsit.
– Translated by Alexander Cunningham (1879)

These dates correspond to about 1575 CE, and confirm the importance and the name Prayag.According to Cunningham, this pillar was brought to Allahabad fromKaushambiby a Muslim Sultan, and that in some later century before Akbar, the old city of Prayag had been deserted.Other scholars, such as Krishnaswamy and Ghosh disagree.In a paper published in 1935, they state that the pillar was always at its current location based on the inscription dates on the pillar, lack of textual evidence for the move in records left by Muslim historians and the difficulty in moving the massive pillar.Further, like Cunningham, they noted that many smaller inscriptions were added on the pillar over time. Quite many of these inscriptions include a date between 1319 CE and 1575 CE, and most of these refer to the month Magha. According to Krishnaswamy and Ghosh, these dates are likely related to theMagh Melapilgrimage at Prayag, as recommended in the ancient Hindu texts.

In papers published about 1979, John Irwin – a scholar of Indian Art History and Archaeology, concurred with Krishnaswamy and Ghosh that the Allahabad pillar was never moved and was always at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna.According to Irwin, an analysis of the minor inscriptions and ancient scribblings on the pillar first observed by Cunningham, also noted by Krishnaswamy and Ghosh, reveals that these included years and months, and the latter "always turns out to be Magha, which also gives it name to theMagh Mela",the Prayaga bathing pilgrimage festival of the Hindus.He further stated that the pillar origins were undoubtedly pre-Ashokan based on the new evidence from the archaeological and geological surveys of the triveni site (Prayaga), the major and minor inscriptions as well as textual evidence, taken together.Archaeological and geological surveys done since the 1950s, states Irwin, have revealed that the rivers – particularly Ganges – had a different course in distant past than now. The original path of river Ganges at the Prayaga confluence had settlements dating from the 8th century BCE onwards.According toKarel Werner– an Indologist known for his studies on religion particularly Buddhism, the Irwin papers "showed conclusively that the pillar did not originate at Kaushambi", but had been at Prayaga from pre-Buddhist times.

Early medieval period

The 7th-century Buddhist Chinese travellerXuanzang(Hiuen Tsang) in Fascicle V ofDà Táng Xīyù Jì(Great Tang Records on the Western Regions) explicitly mentions Prayaga as both a country and a "great city" where the Yamuna river meets Ganges river. He states that the great city has hundreds of "devatemples "and to the south of the city are two Buddhist institutions (a stupa built by Ashoka and a monastery). His 644 CE memoir also mentions the Hindu bathing rituals at the junction of the rivers, where people fast near it and then bathe believing that this washes away their sins. Wealthy people and kings come to this" great city "to give away alms at the Grand Place of Almsgiving. According to Xuanzang's travelogue, the confluence is to the east of this" great city "and the site where alms are distributed every day.Kama MacLean – an Indologist who has published articles on the Kumbh Mela predominantly based on the colonial archives and English-language media,states based on emails from other scholars and a more recent interpretation of the 7th-century Xuanzang memoir, that Prayag was also an important site in 7th-century India of a Buddhist festival. She states that Xuanzang festivities at Prayag featured a Buddha statue and involved alms giving, consistent with Buddhist practices.According to Li Rongxi – a scholar credited with a recent and complete translation of a critical version of theDà Táng Xīyù Jì,Xuanzang mentions that the site of the alms-giving is adevatemple, and the alms-giving practice is recommended by the "records at this temple". Rongxi adds that the population of Prayaga was predominantly heretics (non-Buddhists, Hindus), and affirms that Prayaga attracted festivities ofdeva-worshipping heretics and also the orthodox Buddhists.

Xuanzang also describes a ritual-suicide practice at Prayaga, then concludes it is absurd. He mentions a tree with "evil spirits" that stands before anotherdevatemple. People commit suicide by jumping from it in the belief that they will go to heaven.According to Ariel Glucklich – a scholar of Hinduism and Anthropology of Religion, the Xuanzang memoir mentions both the superstitious devotional suicide and narrates a story of how a Brahmin of a more ancient era tried to put an end to this practice.Alexander Cunninghambelieved the tree described by Xuanzang was theAkshayavattree. It still existed at the time ofAl-Biruniwho calls it as "Prayaga", located at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna.

The historic literature of Hinduism and Buddhism before the Mughal emperorAkbaruse the term Prayag, and never use the term Allahabad or its variants. Its history before theMughal EmperorAkbaris unclear.In contrast to the account of Xuanzang, the Muslim historians place the tree at the confluence of the rivers. The historian Dr. D. B. Dubey states that it appears that between this period, the sandy plain was washed away by the Ganges, to an extent that the temple and tree seen by the Chinese traveller too was washed away, with the river later changing its course to the east and the confluence shifting to the place where Akbar laid the foundations of his fort.

Henry Miers Elliotbelieved that a town existed before Allahabad was founded. He adds that afterMahmud of Ghaznicaptured Asní nearFatehpur,he couldn't have crossed intoBundelkhandwithout visiting Allahabad had there been a city worth plundering. He further adds that its capture should have been heard whenMuhammad of Ghorcaptured Benares. However, Ghori's historians never noticed it.Akbarnamamentions that theMughal emperorAkbar founded a great city in Allahabad.'Abd al-Qadir Bada'uniandNizamuddin Ahmadmention that Akbar laid the foundations of an Imperial City there which he calledIlahabas.

Mughal rule

Allahabad Fort,built by Mughal EmperorAkbarin 1575 on the banks of theYamuna River

Abul Fazalin hisAin-i-Akbaristates, "For a long time his (Akbar's) desire was to found a great city in the town of Piyag (Allahabad) where the rivers Ganges and Jamuna join... On 13th November 1583 (1stAzar991 H.) he (Akbar) reached the wished spot and laid the foundations of the city and planned four forts. "Abul Fazal adds," Ilahabad anciently called Prayag was distinguished by His Imperial Majesty [Akbar] by the former name ".The role of Akbar in founding the Ilahabad – later called Allahabad – fort and city is mentioned byʽAbd al-Qadir Badayunias well.

Nizamuddin Ahmadgives two different dates for Allahabad's foundation, in different sections ofTabaqat-i-Akbari.He states that Akbar laid the foundation of the city at a place of the confluence of Ganges and Jumna which was a very sacred site of Hindus, then gives 1574 and 1584 as the year of its founding, and that it was named "Ilahabas".The next generation of Mughal rulers started calling it Illahabad, and finally, the British started calling it "Allahabad" for ease of pronunciation.

Tomb of Nithar Begum (daughter of Mughal EmperorJahangir) atKhusro Bagh

Akbar was impressed by its strategic location for a fort.According to William Pinch, Akbar's motive may have been twofold. One, the armed fort secured the control of fertile Doab region. Second, it greatly increased his visibility and power to the non-Muslims who gathered here for pilgrimage from distant places and who constituted the majority of his subjects.Later, he declared Ilahabas as a capital of one of the twelve divisions (subahs).According to Richard Burn, the suffix "–bas" was deemed to "savouring too much of Hinduism" and therefore the name was changed toIlahabadbyShah Jahan.This evolved into the two variant colonial-era spellings of Ilahabad (Hindi: इलाहाबाद) and Allahabad.According to Maclean, these variant spellings have a political basis, as "Ilaha–" means "the gods" for Hindus, while Allah is the term for God to Muslims.

AfterPrince Salim's coup against Akbar and a failed attempt to seize Agra's treasury, he came to Allahabad and seized its treasury while setting himself up as a virtually independent ruler.In May 1602, he had his name read inFriday prayersand his name minted on coins in Allahabad. After reconciliation with Akbar, Salim returned to Allahabad, where he stayed before returning in 1604.After capturing Jaunpur in 1624,Prince Khurramordered the siege of Allahabad. The siege was however, lifted afterParvizandMahabat Khancame to assist the garrison.During the Mughal war of succession, the commandant of the fort who had joinedShah Shujamade an agreement withAurangzeb's officers and surrendered it to Khan Dauran on 12 January 1659.

Nawabs of Awadh

The fort was coveted by theEast India Companyfor the same reasons Akbar built it. British troops were first stationed at Allahabad fort in 1765 as part of theTreaty of Allahabadsigned by LordRobert Clive,Mughal emperorShah Alam II,andAwadh's NawabShuja-ud-Daula.The combined forces of Bengal's NawabMir Qasim,Shuja and Shah Alam were defeated by the English atBuxar in October 1764and atKorain May 1765. Alam, who was abandoned by Shuja after the defeats, surrendered to the English and was lodged at the fort, as they captured Allahabad,BenaresandChunarin his name. The territories of Allahabad and Kora were given to the emperor after the treaty was signed in 1765.

Shah Alam spent six years in the Allahabad fort and after thetakeoverofDelhiby the Marathas, left for his capital in 1771 under their protection.He was escorted byMahadaji Shindeand left Allahabad in May 1771 and in January 1772 reached Delhi. Upon realising the Maratha intent of territorial encroachment, however, Shah Alam ordered his generalNajaf Khanto drive them out.Tukoji Rao HolkarandVisaji Krushna Biniwalein return attacked Delhi and defeated his forces in 1772. The Marathas were granted an imperialsanadfor Kora and Allahabad. They turned their attention to Oudh to gain these two territories. Shuja was however, unwilling to give them up and made appeals to the English and the Marathas did not fare well at the Battle of Ramghat.In August and September 1773,Warren Hastingsmet Shuja and concluded a treaty, under which Kora and Allahabad were ceded to the Nawab for a payment of 50 lakh rupees.

Saadat Ali Khan II,after being made the Nawab byJohn Shore,entered into a treaty with the company and gave the fort to the British in 1798.Lord Wellesleyafter threatening to annex the entire Awadh, concluded a treaty with Saadat on abolishing the independent Awadhi army, imposing a larger subsidiary force and annexingRohilkhand,Gorakhpurand the Doab in 1801.

British rule

Mahatma Gandhiat a January 1940Congress Working Committeemeeting withVallabhbhai PatelandVijaya Lakshmi Panditat Anand Bhavan in Allahabad

Acquired in 1801, Allahabad, aside from its importance as a pilgrimage centre, was a stepping stone to the agrarian track upcountry and theGrand Trunk Road.It also potentially offered sizeable revenues to the company. Initialrevenue settlementsbegan in 1803.Allahabad was a participant in the 1857Indian Mutiny,whenMaulvi Liaquat Aliunfurled the banner of revolt.During the rebellion, Allahabad, with a number of European troops,was the scene of a massacre.

Allahabad University,established in 1887, is one of the oldest modern universities in theIndian subcontinent.

After the mutiny, the British established a high court, a police headquarters and a public-service commission in Allahabad,making the city an administrative centre.They truncated the Delhi region of the state, merging it withPunjaband moving the capital of theNorth-Western Provincesto Allahabad (where it remained for 20 years).In January 1858,Earl CanningdepartedCalcuttafor Allahabad.That year he readQueen Victoria's proclamation,transferring control of India from theEast India Companyto theBritish Crown(beginning theBritish Raj), inMinto Park.In 1877 the provinces of Agra and Awadh were merged to form theUnited Provinces,with Allahabad its capital until 1920.

The 1888 session of theIndian National Congresswas held in the city,and by the turn of the 20th century, Allahabad was a revolutionary centre.Nityanand Chatterji became a household name when he hurled a bomb at a European club.InAlfred Parkin 1931,Chandrashekhar Azaddied when surrounded by British police.TheNehru familyhomes,Anand BhavanandSwaraj Bhavan,were centres of Indian National Congress activity.During the years before independence, Allahabad was home to thousands ofsatyagrahisled byPurushottam Das Tandon,Bishambhar Nath Pande,Narayan Dutt Tiwariand others.The first seeds of thePakistanination were sown in Allahabad:on 29 December 1930,Allama Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address to theAll-India Muslim Leagueproposed a separateMuslimstate for the Muslim-majority regions of India.

Geography

Cityscape

Prayagraj's elevation is over 90 m (295 ft) above sea level. The old part of the city, at the south of Prayagraj Junction railway station, consists of neighbourhoods like Chowk,Johnstongunj,Dariyabad,Khuldabadand many more.In the north of the Railway Station, the new city consists of neighbourhoods likeLukergunj,Civil Lines,Georgetown,Tagoretown,Allahpur,Ashok Nagar,Mumfordgunj,Bharadwaj Puramand others which are relatively new and were built during theBritish rule.Civil Linesis thecentral business districtof the city and is famous for its urban setting,gridiron planroadsand high rise buildings. Built in 1857, it was the largest town-planning project carried out in India before the establishment ofNew Delhi.Prayagraj has many buildings featuringIndo-IslamicandIndo-Saracenic architecture.Although several buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage structures", others are deteriorating.Famous landmarks of the city areAllahabad Museum,New Yamuna Bridge,Allahabad University,Triveni Sangam,All Saints Cathedral,Anand Bhavan,Chandrashekhar Azad Parketc.The city experiences one of the highest levels ofair pollutionworldwide, with the 2016 update of theWorld Health Organization'sGlobal Urban Ambient Air Pollution Databasefinding Prayagraj to have the third highest mean concentration of "PM2.5" (<2.5 μm diameter)particulate matterin the ambient air among all the 2972 cities tested (afterZabolandGwalior).

Triveni Sangam and Ghats

Pilgrims at theTriveni Sangam,the confluence of theGangesand theYamunarivers in Prayagraj.

The Triveni Sangam (place where three rivers meet) is the meeting place of Ganges, the Yamuna and mythical Saraswati River, which according to Hindu legends, wells up from underground.A place of religious importance and the site for historic Prayag Kumbh Mela held every 12 years, over the years it has also been the site of immersion of ashes of several national leaders, includingMahatma Gandhiin 1948.

The mainghatin Prayagraj isSaraswati Ghat,on the banks of Yamuna. Stairs from three sides descend to the green water of the Yamuna. Above it is a park which is always covered with green grass. There are also facilities for boating here. There are also routes to reach Triveni Sangam by boat from here.Apart from this, there are more than 100 raw ghats in Prayagraj.

Topography

TheYamunain Prayagraj during the rainy season

Prayagraj is in the southern part of Uttar Pradesh, at the confluence of theGangesand Yamuna.The region was known in antiquity first as the Kuru, then as the Vats country.To the southwest isBundelkhand,to the east and southeast isBaghelkhand,to the north and northeast isAwadhand to the west is the lowerdoab(of which Prayagraj is part).The city is divided by a railway line running east–west.South of the railway is the Old Chowk area, and the British-builtCivil Linesis north of it. Prayagraj is well placed geographically and culturally.Geographically part of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab (at the mouth of the Yamuna), culturally it is the terminus of the Indian west. TheIndian Standard Timelongitude (25.15°N 82.58°E) is near the city. According to aUnited Nations Development Programmereport, Prayagraj is in a "low damage risk" wind and cyclone zone.In common with the rest of thedoab,its soil and water are primarilyalluvial.Pratapgarhis north of the city,Bhadohiis east,Rewais south,Chitrakoot(earlier Banda) is west, andKaushambi,which was until recently a part of Allahabad (Prayagraj), is North-West.

Climate

Prayagraj has ahumid subtropical climatecommon to cities in the plains of North India, designatedCwain theKöppen climate classification.The annual mean temperature is 26.1 °C (79.0 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 18–29 °C (64–84 °F).Prayagraj has three seasons: a hot, dry summer, a cool, dry winter and a hot, humid monsoon. Summer lasts from March to September with daily highs reaching up to 48 °C in the dry summer (from March to May) and up to 40 °C in the hot and extremely humid monsoon season (from June to September).Themonsoonbegins in June, and lasts until August; high humidity levels prevail well into September. Winter runs from December to February,with temperatures rarely dropping to the freezing point. The daily average maximum temperature is about 22 °C (72 °F) and the minimum about 9 °C (48 °F).Prayagraj never receives snow,but, experiences dense winter fog due to numerous wood fires, coal fires, and open burning of rubbish—resulting in substantial traffic and travel delays.Its highest recorded temperature is 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) on 9 June 2019, and its lowest is −0.7 °C (31 °F) on 26 December 1961.

Rain from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea branches of thesouthwest monsoonfalls on Allahabad from June to September, supplying the city with most of its annual rainfall of 1,027 mm (40 in).The highest monthly rainfall total, 333 mm (13 in), occurs in August.The city receives 2,961 hours of sunshine per year, with maximumsunlightin May.

Climate data for Prayagraj 1981–2010, extremes 1901–2012
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	32.8 (91.0)	36.3 (97.3)	42.5 (108.5)	45.8 (114.4)	48.6 (119.5)	48.9 (120.0)	45.6 (114.1)	42.7 (108.9)	39.6 (103.3)	40.6 (105.1)	36.0 (96.8)	31.9 (89.4)	48.9 (120.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	22.8 (73.0)	27.1 (80.8)	33.7 (92.7)	39.5 (103.1)	41.2 (106.2)	39.2 (102.6)	34.3 (93.7)	33.2 (91.8)	33.1 (91.6)	33.0 (91.4)	29.7 (85.5)	25.0 (77.0)	32.6 (90.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	9.2 (48.6)	12.3 (54.1)	17.1 (62.8)	22.6 (72.7)	26.5 (79.7)	27.9 (82.2)	26.7 (80.1)	26.3 (79.3)	25.2 (77.4)	20.9 (69.6)	14.8 (58.6)	10.5 (50.9)	20.0 (68.0)
Record low °C (°F)	1.1 (34.0)	1.1 (34.0)	7.2 (45.0)	12.7 (54.9)	17.2 (63.0)	18.7 (65.7)	18.8 (65.8)	21.1 (70.0)	18.3 (64.9)	11.7 (53.1)	5.6 (42.1)	−0.7 (30.7)	−0.7 (30.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	17.0 (0.67)	17.6 (0.69)	8.8 (0.35)	7.0 (0.28)	13.9 (0.55)	113.5 (4.47)	268.0 (10.55)	238.5 (9.39)	184.9 (7.28)	34.7 (1.37)	4.6 (0.18)	6.8 (0.27)	915.3 (36.04)
Average rainy days	1.6	1.5	1.0	0.7	1.2	5.5	12.0	11.8	8.4	1.5	0.4	0.5	46.1
Averagerelative humidity(%)(at 17:30IST)	62	49	32	22	28	46	71	75	74	62	58	63	53
Mean monthlysunshine hours	224.9	244.2	263.2	274.1	292.3	206.4	143.3	180.6	184.3	259.7	256.7	244.0	2,773.7
Source 1:India Meteorological Department
Source 2:NOAA(sun 1971–1990)

Biodiversity

A typicalIndian peacock,found in Prayagraj on a large scale

The Ganga-Jamuna Doab, of which Prayagraj is a part, is on the westernIndus-Gangetic Plainregion. The doab (including theTerai) is responsible for the city's unique flora and fauna.Since the arrival of humans, nearly half of the city'svertebrateshave become extinct. Others areendangeredor have had their range severely reduced. Associated changes in habitat and the introduction ofreptiles,snakesand othermammalsled to the extinction of bird species, including large birds such aseagles.TheAllahabad Museum,one of four national museums in India, is documenting the flora and fauna of the Ganges and the Yamuna. To protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganges from escalating anthropogenic pressures, development of aTurtlesanctuary in Prayagraj along with a River Biodiversity Park atSangamhave been approved under Namami Gange programme.

The most common birds found in the city aredoves,peacocks,junglefowl,black partridge,house sparrows,songbirds,blue jays,parakeets,quails,bulbuls,andcomb ducks.Large numbers of Deer are found in the Trans Yamuna area of Prayagraj. India's first conservation reserve forblackbuckis being created in Prayagraj'sMejaForest Division. Other animals in the state include reptiles such aslizards,cobras,kraits,andgharials.During winter, large numbers ofSiberianbirds are reported in thesangamand nearby wetlands.

Demographics

Population growth of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation

Year	Pop.	±%
1820	20,000	—
1865	105,900	+429.5%
1871	143,700	+35.7%
1881	148,500	+3.3%
1891	175,200	+18.0%
1901	172,032	−1.8%
1911	171,697	−0.2%
1921	157,220	−8.4%
1931	173,895	+10.6%
1941	246,226	+41.6%
1951	312,259	+26.8%
1961	411,955	+31.9%
1971	490,622	+19.1%
1981	616,051	+25.6%
1991	792,858	+28.7%
2001	975,393	+23.0%
2011	1,112,544	+14.1%
2020	1,536,218	+38.1%
Sources:

Religion in Prayagraj City (2011)
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			76.03%
Islam			21.94%
Christianity			0.68%
Sikhism			0.28%
Others			1.07%
Others includeBuddhism,Jainism,other religions and no particular religion (0.63%)

The2011 censusreported a population of 1,112,544 in the 82 km²(32 sq mi) area governed by Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, corresponding to a density of 13,600/km²(35,000/sq mi).In January 2020, the boundaries of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation were expanded to 365 km²(141 sq mi); according to the 2011 census, 1,536,218 people lived within those boundaries; this corresponds to a population density of 4,200/km²(11,000/sq mi).

Natives of Uttar Pradesh form the majority of Prayagraj's population. With regards to Houseless Census in Prayagraj, total 5,672 families live on footpaths or without any roof cover, this is approximately 0.38 percent of the total population of Prayagraj district. The sex ratio of Prayagraj is 901 females per 1000 males and child sex ratio of is 893 girls per 1000 boys, lower than the national average.

Hindi, the official state language, is the dominant language in Prayagraj. Urdu and other languages are spoken by a sizeable minority. Hindus form the majority of Prayagraj's population; Muslims compose a large minority. According to provisional results of the 2011 national census,Hinduismis majority religion in Prayagraj city with 76.03 percent followers.Islamis the second most practised religion in the city with approximately 21.94 percent following it.Christianityis followed by 0.68 percent,Jainismby 0.10 percent,Sikhismby 0.28 percent andBuddhismby 0.28 percent. Around 0.02 percent stated 'Other Religion', approximately 0.90 percent stated 'No Particular Religion'.

Prayagraj'sliteracy rateat 86.50 percent is the highest in the region.Male literacy is 90.21 percent and female literacy 82.17 percent.For 2001 census same figure stood at 75.81 and 46.38. As per census 2011, total 1,080,808 people are literate in Prayagraj of which males and females are 612,257 and 468,551 respectively. Among35 major Indian cities,Prayagraj reported the highest rate of violations of special and local laws to theNational Crime Records Bureau.

Administration and politics

General administration

Prayagraj division, comprising four districts, is headed by thedivisional commissionerof Prayagraj, who is anIndian Administrative Service(IAS) officer of high seniority, thecommissioneris the head of local government institutions (includingmunicipal corporations) in the division, is in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division.Thedistrict magistrate and collectorof Prayagraj reports to thedivisional commissioner.The current commissioner is Ashish Kumar Goel.

TheAllahabad High Courtis India's fourth-oldest high court

Prayagraj district administration is headed by thedistrict magistrate and collector(DM) of Prayagraj, who is anIAS officer.The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversees theelectionsheld in the district. The DM is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the district.The DM is assisted by a chief development officer; five additional district magistrates for finance/revenue, city, rural administration, land acquisition and civil supply; one chief revenue officer; one city magistrate; and three additional city magistrates.The district has eighttehsilsviz. Sadar, Soraon, Phulpur, Handia, Karchhana, Bara, Meja and Kuraon, each headed by asub-divisional magistrate.

Police administration

City comes under the Prayagraj Police Zone and Prayagraj Police Range, Prayagraj Zone is headed by anadditional director general-rankIndian Police Service(IPS) officer, and the Prayagraj Range is headedinspector general-rank IPS officer. The district police is headed by asenior superintendent of police(SSP), who is anIPSofficer, and is assisted by eightsuperintendents of policeoradditional superintendents of policefor city, either from the IPS or theProvincial Police Service.Each of the several police circles is headed by a circle officer (CO) in the rank ofdeputy superintendent of police.

Infrastructure and civic administration

The development of infrastructure in the city is overseen by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), which comes under theDepartment of Housing and Urban PlanningofUttar Pradesh government.The divisional commissioner of Prayagraj acts as theex-officiochairperson of PDA, whereas a vice chairperson, a government-appointedIAS officer,looks after the daily matters of the authority.The current chairperson of PDA is Bhanu Chandra Goswami.

The Prayagraj Nagar Nigam, also calledPrayagraj Municipal Corporation,oversees the city's civic infrastructure. The corporation originated in 1864 as the Municipal Board of Allahabad, when the Lucknow Municipal Act was passed by theGovernment of India.In 1867, theCivil Linesand the city were amalgamated for municipal purposes.The Cantonment was counted as part of the city in censuses until the1931 Indian census,when it was started to be counted as a separatecensus town.The Municipal Board became Municipal Corporation in 1959.Allahabad Cantonment has a cantonment board. The city of Prayagraj is currently divided into 80 wards,with one member (or corporator) elected from each ward to form the municipal committee. The head of the corporation is the mayor, but, the executive and administration of the corporation are the responsibility of the municipal commissioner, who is anUttar Pradesh government-appointedProvincial Civil Serviceofficer of high seniority. The current mayor of Prayagraj isAbhilasha Gupta,whereas the current municipal commissioner is Avinash Singh.

Prayagraj was declared to have metropolitan status in October 2006.The metropolitan area is referred to in the2011 Indian censusand other official documents as Allhabad Urban Agglomeration. It consists of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, three census towns (the cantonment, Arail Uparhar, and Chak Babura Alimabad), and 17 Outer Growth (OG) areas listed in the table below.

Population of Allahabad Urban Agglomeration and its Parts According to Census Data for 1901–2011.
Name			1901	1911	1921	1931	1941	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	2011
Prayagraj Urban Agglomeration			172,032	171,697	157,220	183,914	260,630	332,295	430,730	513,036	650,070	844,546	1,042,229	1,212,395
	Prayagraj Municipal Corporation		172,032	171,697	157,220	173,895	246,226	312,259	411,955	490,622	616,051	792,858	975,393	1,112,544
	Allahabad Cantonment (included in Allahabad in the 1901–1921 figures)		12,487	11,996	11,615	10,019	14,404	20,036	17,529	20,591	30,442	38,060	24,137	26,944
	Arail Uparhar													12,190
	Chak Babura Alimabad													4,876
	Total of Allahabad Outer Growth (OG) areas listed below:								1,246	1,823	3,577	13,628	42,699	55,841
		Subedarganj Railway Colony (OG)							1,246	1,823	3,577	3,606	872	1,568
		Triveni Nagar (N.E.C.S.W.) (OG)										4,125	1,732	3,515
		T.S.L. Factory (OG)										466	317	753
		Mukta Vihar (OG)										461	509	534
		Bharat Pump and Compressor Factory (OG)										631	628	648
		A.D.A. Colony (OG)										1,155	12,539	22,774
		Doorbani Nagar (OG)										2,312	783	543
		ITI Factory and Res. Colony (OG)										872	3,764	221
		Shiv Nagar (OG)											990	1,449
		Gurunanak Nagar (OG)											867	947
		Gandhi Nagar, Manas Nagar, Industrial Labour Colony (OG)											5,319	6,313
		Gangotri Nagar (OG)											1,641	6,749
		Mahewa West (OG)											7,161	2,136
		Begum Bazar (OG)											514	841
		Bhagal Purwa (OG)											680	988
		Kodra (OG)											690	587
		IOC Colony, Deoghat, ADA Colony and Jhalwagaon (OG)											3,693	5,275

Politics

Prayagraj is the seat ofAllahabad High Court,the highest judicial body in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Prayagraj is known as the "Prime Minister Capital of India", since, seven of fifteenIndian prime ministersof India since independence have connections with the city (Jawaharlal Nehru,Lal Bahadur Shastri,Indira Gandhi,Rajiv Gandhi,Gulzarilal Nanda,Vishwanath Pratap SinghandChandra Shekhar). All seven leaders were either born in Allahabad, were alumni ofAllahabad Universityor were elected from an Allahabad constituency.Prayagraj is administered by severalgovernment agencies.As the seat of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj is home to local governing agencies and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (housed in theAllahabad High Courtbuilding).ThePrayagraj districthas two parliamentary constituency, namely,PrayagrajandPhulpurand elects 12 members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) to the state legislature.

Central government offices/organisations

Prayagraj houses various central government offices and organisations, such as-

Ministry of Home Affairs

• Headquarters ofCentral Zonal Council
• Rapid Action Force(101 Battalion).
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police(Training Institute).

Ministry of Minority Affairs

• Special officer for Linguistic Minorities (Regional Headquarters).

Ministry of Defence (India)

• Headquarters ofCentral Air Command.
• Services Selection Board(East Centre).

Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)

• Civil Aviation Training College.

Ministry of Railways (India)

• Headquarters ofNorth Central Railway Zone.
• Headquarters ofCentral Organisation for Railway Electrification.
• Railway Recruitment Control Board(Selection Centre).

Ministry of Finance (India)

• Headquarters of Accountants General, Uttar Pradesh.

Ministry of Human Resource Development

• Central Board of Secondary Education(Regional office).

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

• Botanical Survey of India(Central Regional Centre, Allahabad).
• Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-Rehabilitation.

Ministry of Science and Technology (India)

• Harish Chandra Research Institute.
• Indian Institute of Geomagnetism(Regional Center).
• National Academy of Sciences, India.

See also:Neighbourhoods of Prayagraj

Economy

Overall Prayagraj has a stable and diverse economy comprising various sectors such as State and Central government offices, education and research institutions, real estate, retail, banking, tourism and hospitality, agriculture-based industries, railways, transport and logistics, miscellaneous service sectors, and manufacturing.Average household incomeof the city is US$2,299.

The construction sector is a major part of Prayagraj's economy.Secondary manufacturers and services may be registered or unregistered;according to the third All India Census for Small Scale Industries, there are more than 10,000 unregistered small-scale industries in the city.An integrated industrial township has been proposed for 1,200 acres (490 ha) in Prayagraj by theDedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India.

The city is also home to glass andwire-based industry.The main industrial areas of Prayagraj areNainiandPhulpur,where severalpublicandprivate sectorcompanies have offices and factories.Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited,India's largest oil company (which is state-owned), is constructing a seven-million-tonnes-per-annum (MTPA) capacity refinery in Lohgara with an investment estimated at ₹62 billion.Allahabad Bank,which began operations in 1865,Bharat Pumps & Compressorsand A. H. Wheeler and Company have their headquarters in the city. Major companies in the city areReliance Industries,ITI Limited,BPCL,Dey's Medical,Food Corporation of India,Raymond Synthetics, Triveni Sheet Glass, Triveni Electroplast, EMC Power Ltd,Steel Authority of India,HCL Technologies,Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative(IFFCO), Vibgyor Laboratories, Geep Industries, Hindustan Cable, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Baidyanath Ayurved, Hindustan Laboratories.

The primary economic sectors of the district are tourism, fishing and agriculture, and the city is a hub for India's agricultural industry.In the case of agriculture crops, paddy has the largest share followed by bajra, arhar, urd and moong, in declining order during the Kharif season. In Rabi, wheat is predominant followed by pulses and oilseed. Among oilseed crops, mustard has very little area under pure farming and is grown mainly as a mixed crop. Linseed dominates the oilseed production of the district and is mainly grown in Jamunapar area. In the case of pulses, gram has the largest area followed by pea and lentil (masoor). There is fairly good acreage under barley.

Transportation and utilities

New Yamuna Bridgein Prayagraj

Air

The main international and domestic airport serving Prayagraj isPrayagraj Airport(IATA:IXD,ICAO:VEAB), which began operations in February 1966. The airport is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city centre and lies in Bamrauli, Prayagraj. As of now, Prayagraj is connected to eleven cities by flight, whereAir India's regional armAlliance Airconnects Prayagraj toDelhiandBilaspur,whileIndiGoconnects it toBangalore,Mumbai,Kolkata,Raipur,Bhopal,BhubaneswarandGorakhpur.The nearestinternational airportsare inVaranasiandLucknow.

The world's firstairmailflight took place from Allahabad (Prayagraj) toNainiin February 1911, when 6,000 cards and letters where flown by French pilotHenri Pequet.

Railways

Prayagraj Junctionis one of the main railway junctions in northern India and headquarters of theNorth Central Railway Zone.

Prayagraj has following nine railway stations in its city limits:

Station Name	Station Code	Railway Zone	Number of Platforms
Prayagraj Junction	PRYJ, formerly ALD	North Central Railway	10
Prayagraj Chheoki Junction railway station	PCOI, formerly ACOI	North Central Railway	3
NainiRailway Station	NYN	North Central Railway	4
Subedarganj railway station	SFG	North Central Railway	3
Prayag Junction railway station	PRG	Northern Railway	3
Prayagraj Sangam Railway Station	PYG	Northern Railway	5
PhaphamauRailway Station	PFM	Northern Railway	3
Prayagraj Rambagh railway station	PRRB, formerly ALY	North Eastern Railway	5
JhusiRailway Station	JI	North Eastern Railway	3

The city is connected to most other Uttar Pradesh cities and major Indian cities such as Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad,Patna,Mumbai,Visakhapatnam,Chennai,Bangalore,Guwahati,Thiruvananthapuram,Pune,Bhopal,Kanpur,Lucknow andJaipur.

Roads

Buses operated byUttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporationand Prayagraj City Transport Service are an important means of public transport for travelling to various parts of the city, state and outskirts.Auto Rickshaws have been a popular mode of transportation.Cycle rickshawsare the most economical means of transportation in Prayagraj along withe-rickshaws.

There are several important National Highways that pass through Prayagraj:

NH (acc. new numbering system)	NH (acc. old numbering system)	Route	Total Length
NH 19	NH 2	Delhi»Mathura»Agra»Kanpur» Prayagraj »Varanasi»Mohania»Barhi»Palsit»Dankuni(nearKolkata)	2542
NH 30	NH 24B & NH 27	Udham Singh Nagar,Uttarakhand»Bareilly»Lucknow»Raebareli» Prayagraj »Rewa»Jabalpur»Raipur»Krishna District,Andhra Pradesh	2022
NH 35	NH 76 & NH 76 Extension	Mahoba»Banda»Chitrakoot» Prayagraj »Mirzapur»Varanasi	346
NH 330	NH 96	Prayagraj »Pratapgarh»Sultanpur»Faizabad»Gonda»Balrampur	263

Cable-stayed,New Yamuna Bridge(built 2001–04), is in Prayagraj and connects the city to the suburb ofNainiacross the Yamuna.TheOld Naini Bridgenow accommodates railway and auto traffic.A road bridge across the Ganges also connects Prayagraj andJhusi.National Waterway 1,the longest Waterway in India, connects Prayagraj and Haldia.

The city generates 5,34,760 kg of domestic solid wastes daily, while the per capita generation of waste is 0.40 kg per day. The sewer service areas are divided into nine zones in the city.Prayagraj Municipal Corporation oversees the solid waste management project.Prayagraj was the first city to get pre-paid meters for electricity bill in Uttar Pradesh.The city is equipped with over 40CCTVsat major crossings and markets.

Public health

MLN Medical College,the Government Medical College in Prayagraj

Kamla Nehru Hospital

Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh oversees the healthcare system of Prayagraj. Its healthcare system comprises hospitals, medical facilities, private clinics and diagnostic centers. These facilities are either privately owned or owned and facilitated by the government. Prayagraj has a total of twenty four hospitals run by the administration.Founded in memory of PanditMotilal Nehruin 1961,Motilal Nehru Medical College(MLN Medical College and associated hospitals) is a government medical college in Prayagraj, with Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital,Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital,Sarojini Naidu Children's Hospital and Manohar Das Eye Hospital serving under its affiliation.Some of the known multispecialty hospitals in and around Prayagraj are Alka Hospital, Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital,Amardeep Hospital, Asha Hospital, Ashutosh Hospital and Trauma Centre, Bhola Hospital, Dwarka Hospital, D R S Hospital, Jain Hospital, Parvati Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Phoenix Hospitals Pvt. Ltd., Priya Hospital, Sangam Multispeciality Hospital, Vatsalya Hospital, Yashlok Hospital and Research Centre, etc.

Prayagraj healthcare also comprises many medical research institutes. The city also has diagnostic labs, clinics, consultation providers and pathological institutes like Kriti Scanning Centre,Prayag Scan & Diagnostic Centre, and Sprint Medical.

Smart city project

IBMselected Prayagraj among 16 other global cities for its smart cities programme to help it address challenges like waste management, disaster management, water management and citizen services.The company commenced working on solid waste management and power sector in generating renewable energy.

Amemorandum of understandingwas signed on 25 January 2015 between theUnited States Trade and Development Agency(USTDA) and theGovernment of Uttar Pradeshfor developing Prayagraj as asmart city.The pact came into existence after the bilateral meeting between the Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modiand the US PresidentBarack Obamain October 2014, wherein it was announced that the US would assist India in developing three smart cities, Prayagraj,AjmerandVisakhapatnam,in a boost to India's 100 smart city programme.On 27 August 2015 the official list of 98 cities to be developed as smart cities, including Prayagraj, was announced by theGovernment of India.Prayagraj Task Force was set up by theMinister of Urban DevelopmentVenkaiah Naiduwhich consists of thedivisional commissioneras chairperson, secretaries of housing and urban planning and urban development inGovernment of Uttar Pradesh,thedistrict magistrate and collector,the vice-chairperson of Prayagraj Development Authority and the mayor in addition to theAdditional Secretary(Urban Development) in theMinistry of Housing and Urban Affairsand representatives of theMinistry of External Affairsand the USTDA.The project is being assisted by the U.S.-India Business Council.

As a part of Smart City Project, Civil Lines is being developed on the lines of Lucknow'sHazratganj.A sum of ₹20crore(US$3,024,000) has been sanctioned tobeautifyall prominent crossings of the city. As per the plan, the administration proposed uniformity in signage and colour of buildings and a parking lot to be set up to solve traffic congestion.A 1.35 km long riverfront along Yamuna river would be developed by the Prayagraj Development Authority, irrigation and power departments at a cost of ₹147.36 crore. The riverfront would be developed in two phases. In the first phase, around 650 metres at Arail would be developed along with the Yamuna, while in the second phase 700 metres of the stretch between New Yamuna Bridge and Boat Club in Kydganj would be taken up.

Improving city libraries is part of the Smart City Mission. ₹6.6 crore is being spent improving and restoring Allahabad Government Public Library, which is in Chandra Shekhar Azad Park. The granite and sandstone building was founded in 1864 and was designed byRichard Roskell Baynein theScottish baronial style.Chandra Mohan Garg, CEO of Prayagraj Smart City, said: "we are undertaking the restoration of the building, for which we have engaged conservation architects; and preservation of manuscripts dating back over 400 years, and digitisation of all library services".

Plans were announced in 2024 to set up "digital smart classrooms" in 48 government-ran primary schools within the city limits.

Education

Main article:List of educational institutions in Prayagraj

Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagraj,a public engineering and management school

The Prayagraj educational system is distinct from Uttar Pradesh's other cities, with an emphasis on broad education.Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh,the world's biggest examining body, is headquartered in the city.Although English is the language of instruction in most private schools, government schools and colleges offer Hindi andEnglish-medium education.Schools in Prayagraj follow the10+2+3 plan.After completing their secondary education, students typically enrol in higher secondary schools affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education, theICSEor theCBSE.and focus on liberal arts, business or science. Vocational programs are also available.

Prayagraj attracts students from throughout India. As of 2017, the city has onecentral university,twoState Universitiesand anopen university.Allahabad University,founded in 1876, is the oldest university in the state.Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagrajis a noted technical institution.Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences,founded in 1910, as "Agricultural Institute", is an autonomous Christian minority university in Prayagraj.Other notable institutions in Allahabad include theIndian Institute of Information Technology – Allahabad;Motilal Nehru Medical College;Ewing Christian College;Harish-Chandra Research Institute;Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute;andAllahabad State University

Culture

See also:List of tourist attractions in Prayagraj

Although Hindu women have traditionally wornsaris,theshalwar kameezand Western attire are gaining acceptance among younger women.Western dress is worn more by men, although thedhotiandkurtaare seen during festivals. The formal malesherwaniis often worn withchooridaron festive occasions.Diwali,Holi,Kumbh Mela,Eid al-FitrandVijayadasamiare the most popular festivals in Prayagraj.

Literature

Anand Bhavan,owned by Indian political leaderMotilal Nehru

A procession of pilgrims cross the Ganges during the 2001 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj

Prayagraj has a literary and artistic heritage; the former capital of the United Provinces, it was known as Prayag in theVedas,theRamayanaand theMahabharata.Allahabad has been called the "literary capital of Uttar Pradesh",attracting visitors from East Asia;the Chinese travellersFaxianand Xuanzang found a flourishing city in the fifth and seventh centuries, respectively.The number of foreign tourists, which mostly consisted ofAsians,visiting the city was 98,167 in 2010 which subsequently increased to 1,07,141 in 2014.The city has a tradition of political graffiti which includeslimericksand caricatures.In 1900,Saraswati,the firstHindi-language monthly magazine in India, was started byChintamani Ghosh.Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi,the doyen of modern Hindi literature, remained its editors from 1903 to 1920.TheAnand Bhavan,built during the 1930s as a new home for theNehru familywhen theSwaraj Bhavanbecame the localIndian National Congressheadquarters, has memorabilia from the Gandhi-Nehru family.

During the 19th and 20th centuries,Hindi literaturewas modernised by authors such asMahadevi Varma,Sumitranandan Pant,Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala'andHarivansh Rai Bachchan.A noted poet was Raghupati Sahay, better known asFiraq Gorakhpuri.Gorakhpuri and Varma have receivedJnanpith Awards.Prayagraj is a publication centre for Hindi literature, including the Lok Bharti, Rajkamal and Neelabh.PersianandUrdu literatureare also studied in the city.Akbar Allahabadiis a noted modern Urdu poet, and Nooh Narwi, Tegh Allahabadi, Shabnam Naqvi and Rashid Allahabadi hail from Prayagraj.English author and1907 Nobel laureateRudyard Kiplingwas an assistant editor and overseas correspondent forThe Pioneer.

Entertainment and recreation

Prayagraj is noted for historic, cultural and religious tourism. Historic sites includeAlfred Park,theVictoriaandThornhill Mayne Memorials,Minto Park,Allahabad Fort, the Ashoka Pillar andKhusro Bagh.Religious attractions include the Kumbh Mela, the Triveni Sangam and All Saints Cathedral. The city hosts theMahaKumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, every twelve years and theArdh(half) Kumbh Mela every six years.It also hosts aMagh Melaannually on the banks of the Triveni Sangam that typically lasts for one and a half months.Cultural attractions include the Allahabad Museum, theJawahar Planetariumand the University of Allahabad. North Central Zone Culture Centre, under theMinistry of CultureandPrayag Sangeet Samitiare nationally renowned centres of Arts, Dance, Music, local Folk Dance and Music, Plays/Theatre etc. and nurture upcoming artists. The city has also hosted the International Film Festival of Prayag.

Media

The LeaderandThe Pioneerare two major English-language newspapers that are produced and published from the city.All India Radio,the national, state-owned radio broadcaster, hasAMradio stations in the city. Prayagraj has sevenFMstations, including two AIR stations:Gyan VaniandVividh Bharti,four private FM channels:BIG FM 92.7,Red FM 93.5,Fever 104 FMand Radio Tadka and one educational FM radio channel Radio Adan 90.4 run byAllahabad Agricultural Institute.There is aDoordarshanKendra in the city.Regional TV channels are accessible viacable subscription,direct-broadcast satelliteservice orInternet-based television.

Sports

Cricketandfield hockeyare the most popular sports in Prayagraj,withkabaddi,kho-kho,gilli dandaandpehlwanimostly being played in rural areas near the city.Gully cricket,also known as street cricket, is popular among city youth.The famous cricket clubAllahabad Cricketershas produced many national and international cricket players. Severalsports complexesare used by amateur and professional athletes; these include theMadan Mohan Malviya Stadium,theAmitabh Bachchan Sports Complexand the Boys' High School and College Gymnasium.There is an international-level swimming complex inGeorgetown.The National Sports Academy in Jhalwa trainsgymnastsfor theCommonwealth Games.TheIndira Marathonhonours the late prime ministerIndira Gandhi.

Notable people

Main article:List of people from Prayagraj

See also

• Forest Research Centre for Eco-Rehabilitation
• Korrah Sadat,a village within Prayagraj Mandal

Further reading

• Cunningham, Alexander(1879).Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of Ashoka.Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. pp.37–38.
• Kane, P. V.(1953).History of Dharmaśāstra: Ancient and Medieval Religious and Civil Law in India.Vol. 4.
• Krishnaswamy, C.S.;Ghosh, Amalananda(October 1935). "A Note on the Allahabad Pillar of Aśoka".The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.4(4): 697–706.JSTOR25201233.
• Allahabad: A Study in Urban Geography,by Ujagir Singh. Published by Banaras Hindu University, 1966.
• Employment and Migration in Allahabad City,by Maheshchand, Mahesh Chand, India Planning Commission. Research Programmes Committee. Published by Oxford & IBH Pub. Co., 1969.
• Subah of Allahabad Under the Great Mughals, 1580–1707: 1580–1707,by Surendra Nath Sinha. Published by Jamia Millia Islamia, 1974.
• The Local Roots of Indian Politics: Allahabad, 1880–1920,byChristopher Alan Bayly.Published by Clarendon Press, 1975.
• Triveni: Essays on the Cultural Heritage of Allahabad,by D. P. Dubey, Neelam Singh, Society of Pilgrimage Studies. Published by Society of Pilgrimage Studies, 1996.ISBN81-900520-2-0.
• Magha Inscriptions in the Allahabad Museum,by Siddheshwari Narain Roy. Published by Raka Prakashana for the Museum, 1999.
• The Last Bungalow: Writings on Allahabad,by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. Published by Penguin Books, 2007.ISBN0-14-310118-8.
• AllahabadThe Imperial Gazetteer of India,1909, v. 5, p. 226–242.

External links

• North Western Provinces