Allahabad have a holy river, a confused history, a world-class University, the birthplace of famous writers. There is so much to look for in Allahabad. Every corner of this city is a landmark . If you are infected with the travel bug and want a place that has a history interesting enough to explore, consider this. The journey is bound keep you rationally occupied and morally alive.Because that is what Allahabad has done to generations of humanity. The Writer comes here seeking inspiration.

History
At the confluence or sangam of the three holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, Allahabad, in ancient times, used to be the site for saints to undergo austerity. As to how this city evolved its various names has its own interesting tale. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma designated this place as an ideal ground for performing the fire ceremony dedicated to the gods, or Prakrishta Yagna, from which came the citys ancient name Prayag. When the Muslims captured this city in 1194, the foundations for modern day Allahabad were laid. The Mughal monarch Akbar renamed the town Illahabad in 1575, named after the religion Din-i-Ilahi established by him. He also fortified this strategic town to consolidate his kingdom.

In the years to come Allahabad became a crucible where in stirred major events concerning the freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi called for non-cooperation and civil disobedience from here in 1920. Alfred Park was where, in 1931, the revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad killed himself when surrounded by the British Police. Anand Bhavan, and the neighbouring Swaraj Bhavan were venues of important political activities of the Indian National Congress. The seeds of the idea of Pakistan were also sown in Allahabad, when in 1930, Allama Muhammad Iqbal proposed a separate state combining the Muslim majority regions of India. Thus, Allahabad has remained a place of historic action.

How to Reach
Air
The Bamrauli Airport, 15 km from the city, has flights to Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Rail
Allahabad is connected by train to Varanasi, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Road
Allahabad has two main bus stands: Civil Lines on MG Marg and Leader Road. Buses to Varanasi (140 km), Lucknow (220 km) and Gorakhpur (298 km) leave from Civil Lines. Buses to Kanpur (195 km), Agra (425km) and Delhi (643 km) operate from Leader Road.

Water
You may ride on a boat in the holy river waters but commercialised transportation along the river route is definitely not the best way to travel.

Religious Places

Triveni Sangam
The belief that a ritual ablution at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati can cleanse one of his/her sins draws a large number of Hindu believers here. An early morning dip is the ideal, both ritually and because the sun rising over the Sangam is a sight to behold.

Patalpuri Temple
Legend has it that Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana, visited this underground temple near the fort. It?s definitely ancient though, and worth a dekko.

Akshaya Vat
This grand old banyan tree, considered to be undying, is located within a protected space in the Patalpuri Temple. It finds mention in the travelogues of the 7th-century Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang. Pilgrims used to jump to death from here, believing that they would attain salvation.

Saraswati Kup
More legends here. This well inside the fort is believed to be the source of the mythical river Saraswati.

Hanuman Temple
To the right of the fort is this temple with Hanuman in an unusual supine position. Painted a bright vermilion, the colour associated with Hanuman, the temple gets submerged during the monsoons when the Ganga floods its banks. It is believed that the Ganga touches the feet of Hanuman thus to receive blessings.

Bhardwaj Ashram
This ancient monastery, said to have been visited by Lord Rama, now lies in the centre of the city. It once housed nearly 10,000 students who studied under the guidance of Sage Bhardwaj.