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Allāhābād is Persian for "the town of Allah", and can mean:-
- A town in the north of Yezd province in Iran.
- A town between Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan in Pakistan
- A city in India, described here.
Allahabad (Hindi: इलाहाबाद, Urdu اله اباد ilāhābād) is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
The name, meaning "city of God", was given to the city by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1583. In Indian alphabets it is spelt "Ilāhābād": "ilāhā" is Arabic for "a god".
The modern city is on the site of the ancient holy city of Prayāga (which is a Sanskrit name for "confluence of rivers"), and is one of four sites of the Kumbha Mela, the others being Hardwar, Ujjain and Nasik. It has a position of importance in the Hindu religion and mythology as the confluence point of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.
Because solar events in Allahabad occur exactly 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich, the city is the reference point for Indian Standard Time, maintained by the city's observatory.
History
In the times that the Ramayana refers to, the site of Allahabad was a few rishis' huts at a river-meeting in the middle of a huge forest called Dandaka that covered much of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
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 literateurs were connected to it in some way or the other.
Allahabad was the birthplace of Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Nehru family estate in the city is now a museum. It has produced more prime ministers than any other city in India.
Geography
It is located in the southern part of the state, at 25.26 N. lat. and 81.50' E, and stands at the confluence of the Ganga (Ganges) and Yamuna rivers.
Demography
Allahabad has a population of 1,050,000 as per the 2001 census with about 580,000 males and 470,000 females. It lists as the 32nd most populous city in India. Allahabad has an area of about 65 km² and is 98 m above sea level. Languages spoken in and around Allahabad include Hindi, English, Urdu and some Bengali and Punjabi. All major religions are practiced in Allahabad.
Climate
Allahabad experiences all the four seasons. The summer season is from April to June with temperatures of 40-42 degrees C. Monsoon begins in early July and lasts till September. The winter season falls in the months of December, January and February. Temperatures in the cold weather could drop to freezing with maximum at almost 12 -14 degrees C. Allahabad also witnesses severe fog in January resulting in massive traffic and travel delays. It does not snow in Allahabad.
Kumbha and Magh Mela
The word 'Mela' is fair in Hindi. Except the years of the Kumbha Mela and the Ardha Kumbha Mela (Ardha is half in Hindi, hence the Ardha Kumbha Mela is held every 6th year), the Magh Mela takes place every year in the month of Magh (Jan - Feb) of the Hindu calendar. The Kumbha Mela takes place every 12 years and has more significance than the Magh Mela. These fairs take place on the banks of the holy river Ganga. It is widely believed that in the Kumbha Mela of 2001, almost 75 million people visited the banks of the rivers to take part in the festivals. During the Melas, entire townships are built with functioning hospitals, fire stations, police stations, restaurants and other facilities.
Places of interest
- Allahabad Fort
- Ananda Bhavan
- Planetarium
- Allahabad Museum
- Yamuna Bank Road
- Sangam
- Allahabad University
Colleges and Universities
- Allahabad Agricultural Institute
- Allahabad Degree College
- Allahabad University
- C.M.P. Degree College
- Ewing Christian College
- Hamidia Girls Degree College
- Harish-Chandra Research Institute
- Indian Institute of Information Technology
- Motilal Nehru Medical College
- Motilal Nehru Regional Engineering College
Hospitals
- Heartline Cardiac Care
- Kamla Nehru Hospital
- Motilal Nehru Medical College
- Nazreth Hospital
- Northern Railway Hospita
- Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital
See also
Sports and Recreation
Allahabad is well known for its sporting activities in the field of Cricket, Badminton, Tennis and Gymnastics. There are several sports complexes that can be used by both amateurs and professionals. These include the Madan Mohan Malviya Cricket stadium, Mayo Hall Sports Complex and the Boys High School Gymnasium. There are several swimming facilities throughout the city as well.