Allahabad

Closely linked with Lord Krishna's childhood, Vrindavan is among the top featured list of pilgrimage sites. The various Tourist Attractions in Vrindavan play a huge role in bringing a lot of people to this land round the year. The city is home to about 4,000 temples including Rangaji temple, Govind Dev Temple, Bankey Bihari temple, Madan Mohan temple, Radha Ballabh temple, Nidhi Van temple and the Pagal Baba temple. The name Vrindavan is derived from the words ‘vrinda’ meaning tulsi and ‘van’ meaning grove.

HISTORY
According to Hindu Mythology, the creator of God of the Trinity, Lord Brahma chose a land on Earth to perform ‘Prakrista Yag’ at the beginning of the creation. The land where Lord Brahma performed the Yag is said to be Allahabad.

Allahabad was also the heart of the Indian Freedom Movement against the British rule. It was in Allahabad that Mahatma Gandhi proposed his program of non-violent resistance to liberate India. It is an ancient city with shades of modernity. The city has been the place of haunting and lasting memories. Besides Hindus and Muslims, Jains and Christians also live here in considerable numbers.

Tourist Attractions

Akshaya Vyat, banyan tree in Allahabad which found mention in a number of historical works, is believed to be an immortal tree. The tree is found inside the underground Patalpuri Temple, situated inside the Allahabad Fort.

Allahabad Fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1583 is the largest fort built by him. This huge fort has three galleries flanked by high towers. Inside the fort there is the Zenana, Palace of Mariam-uz-Zamani and the 3rd century BC Ashoka pillar and Saraswati Koop as well, said to be the source of the Saraswati River.

Allahabad Museum located beside the Chandra Shekhar Azad Park has separate galleries dedicated to archaeological findings, natural history exhibits, and art gallery and terracotta artifacts. Antiques from various well-known and renowned schools of sculpture such as Gandhara, Mathura, Kausambi, and Saranath are also on display. The coin collection of the Allahabad Museum is brilliant and includes Kushana and Gupta gold coins.

Ashoka Pillar, built by Akbar, stands tall inside the Allahabad Fort. The pillar was earthed by the order of the great Mauryan King Ashoka. The inscriptions of the pillar praise the victories of Samudragupta, another great Mauryan king. A Persian inscription of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and inscriptions about other contemporary kings can be seen on the pillar.

HOW TO REACH ALLAHABAD
By Air - Allahabad Airport connects the city to major domestic destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow and Varanasi.
By Road - Buses operated by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) connects Allahabad to all the major north Indian cities including Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Jhansi etc.
By Rail - Allahabad has four major railway stations viz. Allahabad Junction, Prayag Station, City Station at Rambagh and Daraganj Station.