Allahabad
Description
Allahabad (i/əˈlɑːhəbɑːd/), also known as Prayag (/prəˈjɑːɡ/) is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Allahabad District, the most populous district in the state. As of 2011, Allahabad is the seventh most populous city in the state, fifteenth in the Northern India and thirty-sixth in India, with an estimated population of 1.11 million in the city and 1.21 million in its metropolitan region. In 2011 it was ranked the world's 130th fastest-growing city. Allahabad, in 2013, was ranked the third most liveable city in the state (after Noida and Lucknow) and twenty-ninth in the country.
The city's original name – Prayag, or "place of offerings" – comes from its position at the Sangam (confluence) of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati rivers. It is the second-oldest city in India, and plays a central role in Hindu scriptures. Allahabad was originally called Kaushambi (now a separate district) by the Kuru rulers of Hastinapur, who developed it as their capital. Since then, Allahabad has been a political, cultural and administrative centre of the Doab region. Mughal emperor Akbar renamed it Ilahabad, which the British changed to Allahabad. In 1833 it became the seat of the Ceded and Conquered Provinces region before its capital was moved to Agra in 1835. Allahabad became the capital of the North-Western Provinces in 1858, and was the capital of India for a day. The city was the capital of the United Provinces from 1902 to 1920 and remained at the forefront of national importance during the struggle for Indian independence.
Located in southern Uttar Pradesh, the city's metropolitan area covers 70.5 km2 (27.22 sq miles). Although the city and its surrounding area are governed by several municipalities, a large portion of Allahabad District is governed by the Allahabad City Council. The city is home to colleges, research institutions and central and state government offices. Allahabad has hosted cultural and sporting events, including Kumbh Mela and the Indira Marathon. Although the city's economy was built on tourism, most of its income now derives from real estate and financial services.
History
Allahabad Fort, built by Akbar in 1575 Mahatma Gandhi at a January 1940 Congress Working Committee meeting with Vallabhbhai Patel and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit at Anand Bhavan in AllahabadThe city was earlier known as Prayāga, a name still commonly used. Prayāga existed during the Vedic period, and is mentioned in the Veda as the location where Brahma (the Hindu creator of the universe) attended a ritual sacrifice. Excavations have revealed Northern Black Polished Ware dating to 600–700 BCE. The Puranas record that Yayati left Prayaga and conquered the region of Saptha Sindhu. His five sons (Yadu, Druhyu, Puru, Anu and Turvashu) founded the main tribes of the Rigveda. Lord Rama, the protagonist of the Ramayana, spent time at the Ashram of Sage Bharadwaj before travelling to nearby Chitrakoot.
When the Aryans first settled in what they called the Āryāvarta (or Madhyadesha), Allahabad (then Kaushambi) was an important part of their territory. The Kurus, rulers of Hastinapur (near present-day Delhi), established the town of Kaushambi near Allahabad. They shifted their capital to Kaushambi when Hastinapur was destroyed by floods.
The Doab region, which includes Allahabad, was controlled by a succession of empires and dynasties. The area became part of the Mauryan and Gupta Empires from the east and the Kushan Empire from the west before being governed by Kannauj during the 15th century. The city was the site of Maratha incursions before India was colonised. In 1765, the British established a garrison at Allahabad Fort. Allahabad became a part of the Delhi Sultanate when it was annexed by Mohammad Ghori in 1193. Later, the Mughals took over from the slave rulers of Delhi and under them Allahabad rose to prominence. Allahabad was a provincial capital in the Moghul Empire under the reign of Jahangir. Padshah (emperor) Akbar the Great made it the seat of Illahabad Subah, one of his twelve original subahs (imperial top-level provinces), built a fort on the banks of the sangam and renamed the settlement Ilāhābād (Persian for "place of a god") in 1575. A unique artefact associated with Jahangir's reign found in Allahabad is a large jade terrapin, now in the British Museum's collection.
In 1765, forces of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II lost the Battle of Buxar to the British; this was followed by the Treaty of Allahabad. Although the British did not yet establish direct rule, they saw Allahabad's strategic position and established a garrison in Akbar's fort. In 1801, the Nawab of Awadh ceded the city to the British East India Company. Gradually, the rest of the Doab and its adjoining western region in its west (including Delhi and Ajmer-Merwara) came under British rule. The northwestern area became a new presidency, the North Western Provinces of Agra, with its capital at Agra. Allahabad was an important part of the state. In 1834, the city became the governmental seat of Agra Province and a High Court was established; a year later, both were moved to Agra. Allahabad was a participant in the 1857 Indian Mutiny, when Maulvi Liaquat Ali unfurled the banner of revolt. During the rebellion Allahabad, with a number of European troops, was the scene of a massacre.
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 with the Punjab and moving the capital of the North-Western Provinces to Allahabad (where it remained for 20 years). In January 1858, Earl Canning departed Calcutta for Allahabad. That year he read Queen Victoria's proclamation, transferring control of India from the East India Company to the British Crown (beginning the British Raj), in Minto Park. In 1877 the provinces of Agra and Awadh were merged to form the United Provinces, with Allahabad its capital until 1920.
The 1888 session of the Indian National Congress was 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. In Alfred Park in 1931, Chandrashekhar Azad died when surrounded by British police. The Nehru family homes, Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan, were centres of Indian National Congress activity. During the years before independence Allahabad was home to thousands of satyagrahis led by Purushottam Das Tandon, Bishambhar Nath Pande, Narayan Dutt Tiwari and others. The first seeds of the Pakistani nation were sown in Allahabad. On 29 December 1930, Allama Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address to the All-India Muslim League proposed a separate Muslim state for the Muslim-majority regions of India.
Allahabad is known as the "city of prime ministers" because seven out of 15 prime ministers of India since independence have connections to Allahabad (Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar). All seven leaders were either born there, were alumni of Allahabad University or were elected from an Allahabad constituency.
Geography
Topography
Allahabad is in south-eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna . The region was known in antiquity first as the Kuru, then as the Vats country. To the southwest is Bundelkhand, to the east and southeast is Baghelkhand, to the north and northeast is Awadh and to the west is the lower doab (of which Allahabad 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-built Civil Lines is north of it. Allahabad is geographically and culturally strategically located. Geographically part of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab (at the mouth of the Yamuna), culturally it is the terminus of the Indian west. The Indian Standard Time longitude (25.15°N 82.58°E) is near the city. According to a United Nations Development Programme report, Allahabad is in a "low damage risk" wind and cyclone zone. In common with the rest of the doab, its soil and water are primarily alluvial. Pratapgarh is north of the city, Bhadohi is east, Rewa is south and Kaushambi is west.
Biodiversity
The Ganga-Jamuna Doab, of which Allahabad is a part, is on the western Indus-Gangetic Plain region. The doab (including the Terai) is responsible for the city's unique flora and fauna. Since the arrival of humans, nearly half of city's vertebrates have become extinct. Others are endangered or have had their range severely reduced. Associated changes in habitat and the introduction of reptiles, snakes and other mammals led to the extinction of bird species, including large birds such as eagles. The Allahabad Museum, one of four national museums in India, is documenting the flora and fauna of the Ganga and the Yamuna.
The most common birds found in the city are doves, peacocks, junglefowl, black partridge, house sparrows, songbirds, blue jays, parakeets, quails, bulbuls, and comb ducks. Large numbers of Deer are found in Trans Yamuna area of Allahabad. Other animals in the state include reptiles such as lizards, cobras, kraits, and gharials. During winter, large numbers of Siberian birds are reported in the sangam and nearby wetlands.
Civic administration
Allahabad is known as the "Prime Minister Capital of India", since seven of fifteen Prime Ministers of India are from the city. The city is administered by several government agencies. The Allahabad Nagar Nigam (ANN), also called Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), oversees the city's civic infrastructure under the Allahabad Metropolitan Region. The corporation originated in 1864, when the Lucknow Municipal Act was passed by the Government of India. Allahabad is divided into 80 wards, with one member (or corporator) elected from each ward to form the Municipal Committee. The corporators elect the city's mayor. Allahabad's chief executive is its Commissioner, who is appointed by the state government. The city's rapid, unplanned growth has created traffic congestion and stress on infrastructure which has challenged the ANN. Traffic gridlock has been addressed by a flyover system and one-way streets. Land is expensive in Allahabad, especially in Civil Lines (where skyscrapers exceeding 10–15 floors are being built).
As of 2012, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) controls the AMC. The city has a non-political titular head, who presides over municipal functions and conferences. As the seat of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad is home to local governing agencies and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (located in the Allahabad High Court building). The Allahabad police, headed by a commissioner, is overseen by the Uttar Pradesh Ministry of Home Affairs. The Allahabad district elects two representatives to India's lower house, the Lok Sabha, and 12 representatives to the state legislative assembly.
Culture
Entertainment and recreation
Allahabad is noted for historic, cultural and religious tourism. Historic sites include Alfred Park, the Victoria and Thornhill Mayne Memorials, Minto Park, Allahabad Fort, the Ashoka Pillar and Khusro Bagh. Religious attractions include the Kumbh Mela, the Triveni Sangam (sacred in Shaktism) and All Saints Cathedral. The city hosts the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, every twelve years and the Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela every six years. Cultural attractions include the Allahabad Museum, the Jawahar Planetarium and the University of Allahabad. North Central Zone Culture Center, under Ministry of Culture (India) and Prayag Sangeet Samiti are nationally renowned centres of Arts, Dance, Music, local Folk Dance and Music, Plays/Theatre etc. and nurture upcoming artists. The city has also hosted International Film Festival of Prayag.
Transportation and utilities
Allahabad is served by Allahabad Airport (IATA: IXD, ICAO: VIAL), which began operations in February 1966. The airport is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city centre and lies in Bamrauli, Allahabad. Air India connect Allahabad to Delhi and Mumbai. Other nearby airports are in Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur. Ventura AirConnect is operating direct flight to Lucknow & Varanasi from Allahabad Airport. Allahabad Junction is one of the main railway junctions in northern India and headquarters of the North Central Railway Zone. The four major railway stations in Allahabad are Prayag Junction, City Station at Rambagh, Daraganj Station and Allahabad Junction. The city is connected to most other Uttar Pradesh cities and major Indian cities such as Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Jhansi, Kolkata, New Delhi, Patna, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Pune, Bhopal, Kanpur, Lucknow and Jaipur. Auto Rikshaws have been a popular mode of transportation. Since 2014, E-rickshaws have also been introduced and quickly spread over the city. Renowned taxi firms like Ola Cabs, TaxiForSure etc. are also operating in the city, making transportation in the city more hassle-free & convenient. Cycle rickshaws are the most economical means of transportation in Allahabad along with e-rickshaws.
Buses operated by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) are an important means of public transport in the metro. National Highway 2 runs through the city centre. India's longest cable-stayed bridge, the New Yamuna Bridge (built 2001–04), is located in Allahabad and connects the city to the suburb of Naini across the Yamuna. The Old Naini Bridge now accommodates railway and auto traffic. A road bridge across the Ganga also connects Allahabad and Jhusi. National Waterway 1, the longest Waterway in India, connects Allahabad and Haldia. Metrorail, Monorail project for the city covering the entire metropolitan region is also underway.
The city generates 5,34,760 kg of domestic solid wastes everyday, while per capita generation of waste is 0.40 kg per day. The sewer service areas are divided into nine zones in the city. Allahabad Municipal Corporation oversees the solid waste management project. Allahabad was the first city to get pre-paid meters for electricity bill in Uttar Pradesh. The city is equipped with over 40 CCTVs at major crossings and markets.