Discover Allahabad

Allahabad, now Prayagraj, offers a range of historical and cultural highlights. These include Garhwa Fort in Sheorajpur, monuments and museums in Prayagraj, and religious traditions at the Sangam. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between these places and topics: some details refer to a precisely named location, while others relate to the city of Prayagraj.

Garhwa Fort and Historic Buildings

Garhwa Fort is located in Sheorajpur, Tehsil Bara, Prayagraj, and has been a centrally protected monument since 1911. Its precise location distinguishes it from the historical attractions mentioned in connection with Prayagraj as a city. The Allahabad Fort houses the Ashoka Pillar, made of polished sandstone. It is 10.6 metres high and dates from 232 BC. Among its distinctive features are several edicts and a Persian inscription by Emperor Jahangir, which commemorates his accession to the throne.

The Allahabad Fort is also home to religious sites: the Patalpuri Temple is considered a major attraction for devotees. The Akshaya Vat is located in the underground temple within the fort and is also counted among the religious attractions. All Saints’ Cathedral offers a different architectural highlight. This Gothic Revival church in Prayagraj was built in the late 19th century, is a city landmark, and is dedicated to all saints. It also commemorates Bishop Clifford, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Lucknow.

Museums, a Park, and the City’s History

The Allahabad Museum is located in the Civil Lines district, in Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, also known as Company Bagh. The park covers 133 acres and was established to commemorate the visit to Prayagraj in 1870 by Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Chandra Shekhar Azad’s story is also connected with this place: he died there on 27 February 1931, aged 24, after a fierce exchange of fire with the British.

The Allahabad Museum’s collection includes artworks, antiques, paintings, sculptures, coins, ceramics, archaeological objects, illustrated manuscripts, farmans, decorative arts, weapons and armour, textiles, natural history exhibits, photographs, and prints. It also holds personal collection items related to Gandhi, Nehru, and writers from Allahabad, including Sumitra Nandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi “Nirala,” Premchand, and Mahadevi Verma. Under the Government of India’s Ministry of Culture, the museum was declared a museum of national importance.

Allahabad University can also be considered from a historical and architectural perspective: it was founded on 23 September 1887 and is India’s fourth-oldest university. The architecture of its campus combines influences from Egypt, England, and India. Anand Bhawan is a historic house museum owned by the Nehru family; it also houses the Jawahar Planetarium. Within the Anand Bhawan complex, Swaraj Bhawan was a palatial mansion owned by politician Motilal Nehru and served as the starting point for several important movements in India’s independence movement.

Khusro Bagh offers another focus for those interested in architectural details: Nithar’s mausoleum stands on a raised plinth and is decorated with panels featuring a cusped-arch motif. The ceilings of the rooms in the plinth are painted with stars in concentric circles. These details offer a different focus from the museum’s collections or the university campus architecture.

The Sangam, Religious Traditions, and the River Landscape

The Magh Mela is an annual gathering of Hindu pilgrims in Prayag, on the banks of the Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati converge. Every twelve years, the Magh Mela becomes the Kumbh Mela. With millions of participants, the Maha Kumbh Mela is India’s largest religious gathering. If you want to plan your trip around one of these events, check the dates before making your plans.

At the ghat near the fort, pilgrims and tourists can hire boats to the Sangam. Local availability may change, so check before your visit. At the Sangam, extensive floodplains and muddy banks shape the landscape. The New Yamuna Bridge offers another river view: it crosses the Yamuna from north to south and connects Prayagraj with Naini. The view of the bridge is considered especially impressive at sunrise and dusk.

The Takshakeshwar Lord Shankar Temple and Takshak Kund also connect religious tradition with the river. The temple is in southern Prayagraj, in the Daryabad district on the banks of the Yamuna. Takshak Kund is in the Yamuna, some distance from the temple. According to legend, Takshak sought refuge there after Lord Krishna drove him out of Mathura.

Getting There and Choosing a Hotel

Prayagraj has eight railway stations within its city limits, with connections to many major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Gwalior, and Jaipur. Check current train connections before travelling. Taxis, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, and city buses are available near the railway stations for onward travel; these services may also change. Prayagraj is also connected to the rest of the country by national and state highways, including NH2, NH27, NH76, and NH96. Check road designations and conditions before driving.

When choosing a hotel, you can compare your planned priorities with the specific location of an offer. Whether your trip focuses on historic buildings, collections, religious traditions, or getting there, check the information for each hotel and plan rail or road journeys using up-to-date information.

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Go to the main travel overview: Uttar Pradesh.