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"Allahabad" (), officially known as "Prayagraj", and also known as "Illahabad" and "Prayag", is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Allahabad district—the most populous district in the state and 13th most populous district in India—and the Allahabad division.
The city is the judicial capital of Uttar Pradesh with Allahabad High Court being the highest judicial body in the state. As of 2011, Allahabad is the List of cities in Uttar Pradesh by population in the state, list of North Indian cities by population in Northern India and List of most populous cities in India in India, with an estimated population of 1.11 million in the city and 1.21 million in Allahabad Metropolitan Area. In 2011 it was ranked the world's 40th fastest-growing city. Allahabad, in 2016, was also ranked the third most liveable city in the state (after Noida and Lucknow) and sixteenth in the country. The 2016 update of the World Health Organization's ''Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database'' found Allahabad to have the third highest mean concentration of "PM2.5" (<2.5 μm diameter) particulates in the ambient air among all the 2972 cities tested (after Zabol and Gwalior).
The city lies close to Triveni Sangam, "three-river confluence", original name - ''Prayag'', "place of sacrifice
offering" - which lies at the ''sangam'' (confluence) of the Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati River rivers,
''Akbarnama'' mentions that the Mughal emperor Akbar founded a great city in Allahabad. `Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni and Nizamuddin Ahmad mention that Akbar laid the foundations of an imperial city there which was called ''Ilahabas''
''Ilahabad''. Allahabad became the capital of the North-Western Provinces in 1858 and was the List of capitals of India for a day. The city was the capital of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh from 1902 and remained at the forefront of national importance during the Indian independence movement. 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 2 dozen Central government and Government of Uttar Pradesh offices. Allahabad has hosted cultural and sporting events, including the Prayag 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. The Allahabad district is the second-most revenue providing district in Uttar Pradesh.
''Prayag''
''Prayagraj'' was the ancient name of this city. The name is a sandhi of the words ''Pra'' (Sanskrit: प्र:), meaning 'first' and ''Yag'' (Sanskrit: यज्ञ; yajña), meaning 'devotion, worship
offering'. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed the very first yajna in this land. Rigveda and some Puranas mention this place as ''Prayag'' giving it a high religious value in India. The word ''Prayag'' also means "Confluence of Rivers". It is here the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati river meet. Prayagraj is also called the "Emperor of Five Prayags" (Panch Prayag).
After Mughal invasion, it is said that the Mughal emperor Akbar when visited the region in 1575, was so impressed by the strategic location of the site that he ordered a fort be constructed and renamed it ''Ilahabas''
"Abode of God" by 1584, later changed to ''Allahabad'' under Shah Jahan. Speculations regarding its name however, exist. Because of the surrounding people calling it ''Alhabas'', has led to some people holding the view that it was named after Alha from Alha-Khand. James Forbes (artist)' account of the early 1800s claims that it was renamed Allahabad
"abode of God" by Jahangir after he failed to destroy the Akshayavat tree. The name, however, predates him, with ''Ilahabas'' and ''Ilahabad'' mentioned on coins minted in the city since Akbar's rule, the latter name became predominant after the emperor's death. It has also been thought to not have been named after Allah but ''ilaha'' (the gods). Shaligram Shrivastv claimed in ''Prayag Pradip'' that the name was deliberately given by Akbar to be construed as both Hindu ("ilaha") and Muslim ("Allah").
Over the years, a number of attempts were made by the BJP-led governments of Uttar Pradesh to rename Allahabad to Prayagraj. In 1992, the planned rename was shelved when the chief minister, Kalyan Singh, was forced to resign following the Babri Masjid demolition. 2001 saw another attempt led by the government of Rajnath Singh which remained unfulfilled. The rename finally succeeded in October 2018 when the Yogi Adityanath-led government officially changed the name of the city to Prayagraj.
The city was earlier known as ''Prayāga'', a name still commonly used. The earliest mention of Prayag and associated pilgrimage is found in ''Rigveda Pariśiṣṭa'' (supplement to the ''Rigveda'', c. 1200-1000 BCE). It is also mentioned in the Pali canons of Buddhism, such as in section 1.7 of ''Majjhima Nikaya'' (c. 500 BCE), wherein the Buddha states that bathing in ''Payaga'' (Skt: Prayaga) cannot wash away cruel and evil deeds, rather the virtuous one should be pure in heart and fair in action. The ''Mahabharata'' (c. 400 BCE-300 CE) mentions a bathing pilgrimage at Prayag as a means of ''prāyaścitta'' (atonement, penance) for past mistakes and guilt. In ''Tirthayatra Parva'', before the great war, the epic states "the one who observes firm [ethical] vows, having bathed at Prayaga during Magha, O best of the Bharatas, becomes spotless and reaches heaven." In ''Anushasana parva'', after the war, the epic elaborates this bathing pilgrimage as "geographical tirtha" that must be combined with ''manasa-tirtha'' (tirtha of the heart) whereby one lives by values such as truth, charity, self-control, patience and others.
Prayāga is mentioned in the ''Agni Purana'' and other Puranas with various legends, including being one of the places where Brahma attended a yajna (homa), and the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati site as the king of pilgrimage sites (''Tirtha Raj''). Other early accounts of the significance of Prayag to Hinduism is found in the various versions of the ''Prayaga Mahatmya'', dated to the late 1st-millennium CE. These Purana-genre Sanskrit texts describe Prayag as a place "bustling with pilgrims, priests, vendors, beggars, guides" and local citizens busy along the confluence of the rivers (''sangam''). Prayaga is also mentioned in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'', a place with the legendary ''Ashram'' of sage Bharadwaj.
(photo c. 1900) contains many inscriptions since the 3rd-century BCE. Sometime about 1575 CE, Birbal of Akbar's era added an inscription that mentions the "Magh mela at Prayag Tirth Raj".Inscription evidence from the famed Ashoka edicts containing Allahabad pillar - also referred to as the Prayaga Bull pillar - adds to the confusion about the antiquity of this city. Archaeological surveys since the 1950s has revealed the presence of human settlements near the ''sangam'' since about 800 BCE. Other scholars, such as Krishnaswamy and Ghosh disagree. In a paper published in 1935, they state that the pillar was always at its current location based on the inscription dates on the pillar, lack of textual evidence for the move in records left by Muslim historians and the difficulty in moving the massive pillar. Further, like Cunningham, they noted that many smaller inscriptions were added on the pillar over time. Quite many of these inscriptions include a date between 1319 CE and 1575 CE, and most of these refer to the month Magha. According to Krishnaswamy and Ghosh, these dates are likely related to the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage at Prayag, as recommended in the ancient Hindu texts.
In papers published about 1979, John Irwin - a scholar of Indian Art History and Archaeology, concurred with Krishnaswamy and Ghosh that the Allahabad pillar was never moved and was always at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna. Archaeological and geological surveys done since the 1950s, states Irwin, have revealed that the rivers - particularly Ganges - had a different course in distant past than now. The original path of river Ganges at the Prayaga confluence had settlements dating from 8th-century BCE onwards.
The 7th-century Buddhist Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) mentions king Harsha and his capital of Prayag, which he states to be a sacred Hindu city with hundreds of "Deva (Hinduism) temples" and two Buddhist institutions. His 644 CE memoir also mentions the Hindu bathing rituals at the junction of the rivers. Kama MacLean - an Indologist who has published articles on the Kumbh Mela predominantly based on the colonial archives and English-language media, states based on emails from other scholars and a more recent interpretation of the 7th-century Xuanzang memoir, that Prayag was an important site in 7th-century India, but that it might have been a Buddhist festival site then. She states that the alternative interpretation of Xuanzang suggests that the pilgrimage at Prayag featured a Buddha statue and involved alms giving, consistent with Buddhist practices.
Xuanzang mentions a tree, near which lay human bones of people who had committed suicide by jumping from it in the belief of going to heaven. Alexander Cunningham believed the tree described by Xuanzang was the Akshayavat tree and probably still existed at the time of Al-Biruni who called it the "tree of Allahabad". According to Ariel Glucklich - a scholar of Hinduism and Anthropology of Religion, the Xuanzang memoir mentions both the superstitious devotional suicide and how a Brahmin of a more ancient era successfully put an end to this practice. In contrast to the account of Xuanzang, the Muslim historians place the tree at the confluence of the rivers. The historian Dr. D. B. Dubey states that it appears that between this period, the sandy plain was washed away by the Ganga, to an extent that the temple and tree seen by the Chinese traveller too was washed away, with the river later changing its course to the east and the confluence shifting to the place where Akbar laid the foundations of his fort.
Henry Miers Elliot believed that a town existed before Allahabad was founded. He adds that after Mahmud of Ghazni captured Asní near Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, he couldn't have crossed into Bundelkhand without visiting Allahabad had there been a city worth plundering. He further adds that its capture should have been heard when Muhammad of Ghor captured Benares. however, Ghori's historians never noticed it. ''Akbarnama'' mentions that the Mughal emperor Akbar founded a great city in Allahabad. `Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni and Nizamuddin Ahmad mention that Akbar laid the foundations of an Imperial City there which he called ''Ilahabas''.
, built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1575 on the banks of the Yamuna River.) at Khusro Bagh.Abul Fazal in his ''Ain-i-Akbari'' states, "For a long time his (Akbar's) desire was to found a great city in the town of Piyag (Allahabad) where the rivers Ganges and Jamuna join... On 13th November 1583 (1st Azar 991 H.) he (Akbar) reached the wished spot and laid the foundations of the city and planned four forts." Abul Fazal adds, "Ilahabad anciently called Prayag was distinguished by His Imperial Majesty [Akbar] by the former name". The role of Akbar in founding the Ilahabad - later called Allahabad - fort and city is mentioned by `Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni as well.
Akbar was impressed by its strategic location for a fort. Later, he declared Ilahabas as a capital of one of the twelve divisions (''subahs''). According to Richard Burn, the suffix "-bas" was deemed to "savouring too much of Hinduism" and therefore the name was changed to ''Ilahabad'' by Shah Jahan. According to Maclean, these variant spellings have a political basis, as "Ilaha-" means "the gods" for Hindus, while Allah is the term for God to Muslims. In May 1602, he had his name read in Jumu'ah and his name minted on coins in Allahabad. After reconciliation with Akbar, Salim returned to Allahabad, where he stayed before returning in 1604. After capturing Jaunpur in 1624, Shah Jahan ordered the siege of Allahabad. The siege was however, lifted after Parviz Mirza and Mahabat Khan came to assist the garrison. During the Mughal war of succession, the commandant of the fort who had joined Shah Shuja (Mughal prince) made an agreement with Aurangzeb's officers and surrendered it to Khan Dauran on 12 January 1659.
The fort was coveted by the East India Company for the same reasons Akbar built it. British troops were first stationed at Allahabad fort in 1765 as part of the Treaty of Allahabad signed by Lord Robert Clive, Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, and Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula. The combined forces of Bengal's Nawab Mir Qasim, Shuja and Shah Alam were defeated by the English at Battle of Buxar and at Kora in May 1765. Alam, who was abandoned by Shuja after the defeats, surrendered to the English and was lodged at the fort, as they captured Allahabad, Benares and Chunar in his name. The territories of Allahabad and Kora were given to the emperor after the treaty was signed in 1765. He spent six years there and after the takeover of Delhi by the Marathas, left for his capitalin 1771.
Upon realising the Maratha intent of territorial encroachment, however, Shah Alam ordered his general Mirza Najaf Khan to drive them out. Tukoji Rao Holkar and Visaji Krushna Biniwale in return attacked Delhi and defeated his forces in 1772. The Marathas were granted an imperial ''deed'' for Kora and Allahabad. They turned their attention to Oudh to gain these two territories. Shuja was however, unwilling to give them up and made appeals to the English and the Marathas did not fare well at the battle of Ramghat. In August and September 1773, Warren Hastings met Shuja and concluded a treaty, under which Kora and Allahabad were ceded to the Nawab for a payment of 50 lakh rupees.
Saadat Ali Khan II, after being made the Nawab by John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth, entered into a treaty with the Company and gave the fort to the British in 1798. Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley after threatening to annexe the entire Awadh, concluded a treaty with Saadat on abolishing the independent Awadhi army, imposing a larger subsidiary force and annexing Rohilkhand, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh and the Doab in 1801.
at a January 1940 Congress Working Committee meeting with Vallabhbhai Patel and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit at Anand Bhavan in Allahabad, established in 1887, is one of the oldest modern universities in the Indian subcontinent.Acquired in 1801, Allahabad, aside from its importance as a pilgrimage centre, was a stepping stone to the agrarian track upcountry and the Grand Trunk Road. It also potentially offered sizeable revenues to the Company. Initial Permanent Settlement began in 1803. Allahabad was a participant in the 1857 Indian Rebellion of 1857, 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. making the city an administrative centre. They truncated the Delhi region of the state, merging it with Punjab, India and moving the capital of the North-Western Provinces to Allahabad (where it remained for 20 years). That year he read Queen Victoria#Empress of India, transferring control of India from the East India Company to the British Crown (beginning the British Raj), in Minto Park, Allahabad. In 1877 the provinces of Agra and Awadh were merged to form the United Provinces of British India, with Allahabad its capital until 1920. 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-Gandhi 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 Satyagraha 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 in Allahabad, were alumni of Allahabad University
were elected from an Allahabad constituency. In the north of the Railway Station, the new city consists of neighbourhoods like Lukergunj, Civil Lines, Allahabad, Georgetown, Allahabad, Tagoretown, Allahpur, Ashok Nagar, Allahabad, Mumfordgunj, Bharadwaj Puram and others which are relatively new and were built during the British Raj. Civil Lines, Allahabad is the central business district of the city and is famous for its urban setting, gridiron plan roads and high rise buildings. Built in 1857, it was the largest town-planning project carried out in India before the establishment of New Delhi. Famous landmarks of the city are Allahabad Museum, New Yamuna Bridge, Allahabad, Allahabad University, Triveni Sangam, All Saints Cathedral, Allahabad, Anand Bhavan, Alfred Park etc.
, the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers in Allahabad.In Hindi, Triveni Sangam is a place where three rivers meet. The Allahabad Triveni Sangam is the meeting place of Ganges, the Yamuna and invisible Sarasvati River, which according to Hindu legends, wells up from underground. A place of religious importance and the site for historic Prayag Kumbh Mela held every 12 years, over the years it has also been the site of immersion of ashes of several national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
Apart from this, there are more than 100 raw ghats in Allahabad.
in Allahabad during the rainy seasonAllahabad is in the southern 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). South of the railway is the Old Chowk area, and the British-built Civil Lines, Allahabad is north of it. Allahabad is well placed geographically and culturally. 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 Alluvium. Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh is north of the city, Bhadohi is east, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh is south, Chitrakoot district (earlier Banda) is west, and Kaushambi district, which was till recently a part of Allahabad, is North-West.
Allahabad has a humid subtropical climate common to cities in the plains of North India, designated ''Cwa'' in the Köppen climate classification. The annual mean temperature is ; monthly mean temperatures are . Allahabad has three seasons: a hot, dry summer, a cool, dry winter and a hot, humid monsoon. Summer lasts from March to September with daily highs reaching up to 48 °C in the dry summer (from March to May) and up to 40 °C in the hot and extremely humid monsoon season (from June to September). Allahabad never receives snow, Its highest recorded temperature is , and its lowest is .
, found in Allahabad on a large scaleThe 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 the city's vertebrates have become extinct. Others are endangered
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.To protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating anthropogenic pressures, development of a Turtle sanctuary in Allahabad along with a River Biodiversity Park at Triveni Sangam have been approved under Namami Gange programme.
The most common birds found in the city are Columbidae, Peafowl, junglefowl, black partridge, house sparrows, songbirds, blue jays, parakeets, quails, bulbuls, and Knob-billed duck. Large numbers of Deer are found in the Trans Yamuna area of Allahabad. India's first conservation reserve for blackbuck is being created in Allahabad's Meja Forest Division. Other animals in the state include reptiles such as lizards, cobras, Bungarus, and gharials.
The 2011 census of India reported a population of 1,117,094 in Allahabad city. Provisional data suggest a density of 1,086 people per km2 in 2011 for Allahabad district, compared to 901 in 2001. Male literacy is 90.21% and female literacy 82.17%. Among 35 major Indian cities, Allahabad reported the highest rate of violations of special and local laws to the NCRB.
Allahabad division, comprising four districts, is headed by the Divisional commissioner (India) of Allahabad, who is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of high seniority, the Divisional commissioner (India) is the head of local government institutions (including Municipal corporations in India) in the division, is in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division. The District collector (India) of Allahabad reports to the Divisional commissioner (India). The current commissioner is Ashish Kumar Goel.
Allahabad district administration is headed by the District collector (India) (DM) of Allahabad, who is an Indian Administrative Service. The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversees the Elections in India held in the district. The DM is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the district. The DM is assisted by a chief development officer; five additional district magistrates for finance/revenue, city, rural administration, land acquisition and civil supply; one chief revenue officer; one city magistrate; and three additional city magistrates. and IG, Allahabad Range is Mohit Aggarwal.
The district police is headed by a Superintendent of police (India) (SSP), who is an Indian Police Service officer, and is assisted by eight Superintendent of police (India)
Additional superintendent of police for city, Ganga Par, Yamuna Par, crime, traffic, Modern Control Room, protocol and security, either from the IPS
the Provincial Police Service (Uttar Pradesh). Each of the several police circles is headed by a circle officer (CO) in the rank of Deputy superintendent of police#India. The current chairperson of ADA is Bhanu Chandra Goswami.
The Allahabad Nagar Nigam, also called Allahabad Municipal Corporation, oversees the city's civic infrastructure. 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 head of the corporation is the mayor, but, the executive and administration of the corporation are the responsibility of the municipal commissioner, who is a Government of Uttar Pradesh-appointed Provincial Civil Service (Uttar Pradesh) officer of high seniority. The current mayor of Allahabad is Abhilasha Gupta, whereas the current municipal commissioner is Avinash Singh.
A memorandum of understanding was signed on 25 January 2015 between the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Government of Uttar Pradesh for developing Allahabad as a smart city. The pact came into existence after the bilateral meeting between the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Barack Obama in October 2014, wherein it was announced that the US would assist India in developing three smart cities, Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam, in a boost to India's 100 smart city programme. On 27 August 2015 the official list of 98 cities to be developed as smart cities, including Allahabad, was announced by the Government of India. Allahabad Task Force was set up by the Ministry of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu which consists of the Divisional commissioner (India) as chairperson, secretaries of housing and urban planning and urban development in Government of Uttar Pradesh, the District collector (India), the vice-chairperson of Allahabad Development Authority and the mayor in addition to the Additional secretary to the Government of India (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs (India) and the USTDA. The project is being assisted by the U.S.-India Business Council. is India's fourth-oldest high court
Allahabad is the seat of Allahabad High Court, the highest judicial body in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The city is known as the "Prime Minister Capital of India", since, seven of fifteen Prime Minister of India have been from the district. The Allahabad district elects two representatives to the Parliament of India's lower house, the Lok Sabha, and 12 representatives to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Allahabad houses various central government offices and organisations, such as-
"Ministry of Home Affairs", Headquarters of Central Zonal Council, Rapid Action Force (101 Battalion)., Indo-Tibetan Border Police, (Training Institute)."Ministry of Minority Affairs", Special officer for Linguistic Minorities. (Regional Headquarters)."Ministry of Defence (India)", Headquarters of Central Air Command., Services Selection Board, (East Centre)."Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)", Civil Aviation Training College."Ministry of Railways (India)", Headquarters of North Central Railway Zone., Headquarters of Central Organisation for Railway Electrification., Railway Recruitment Control Board, (Selection Centre)."Ministry of Finance (India)", Headquarters of Accountants General, Uttar Pradesh."Ministry of Human Resource Development", Central Board of Secondary Education, (Regional office)."Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change", Botanical Survey of India (Central Regional Centre, Allahabad)., Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-Rehabilitation."Ministry of Science and Technology (India)", Harish Chandra Research Institute., Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (Regional Center)., National Academy of Sciences, India.
Overall Allahabad has a very stable and diverse economy comprising various sectors such as State and Central government offices, education and research institutions, real estate, retail, banking, tourism and hospitality, agriculture-based industries, railways, transport and logistics, miscellaneous service sectors, and manufacturing. Disposable household and per capita income of the city is US$2,299.
The construction sector is a major part of Allahabad's economy. Secondary manufacturers and services may be registered
unregistered; according to the third All India Census for Small Scale Industries, there are more than 10,000 unregistered small-scale industries in the city. An integrated industrial township has been proposed for in Allahabad by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India.
The city is also home to glass and wire-based industry. The main industrial areas of Allahabad are Naini and Phulpur, Allahabad, where several Public sector and private sector companies have offices and factories. BPCL, India's largest oil company (which is state-owned), is constructing a seven-million-tonnes-per-annum (MTPA) capacity refinery in Lohgara with an investment estimated at ₹62 billion. Allahabad Bank, which began operations in 1865,
The primary economic sectors of the district are tourism, fishing and agriculture, and the city is a hub for India's agricultural industry. in the case of agriculture crops, Paddy has the largest share followed by Bajra, Arhar, Urd and Moong, in declining order during the Kharif season. In Rabi, Wheat is predominantally followed by pulses and oilseed. Among oilseed crops, Mustard has very less area under pure farming and is grown mainly as a mixed crop. Linseed dominates the oilseed scenario of the district and is mainly grown in Jamunapar area. in the case of pulses, gram has the largest area followed by pea and lentil (''masoor''). There is fairly good acreage under barley.
in Allahabad
Allahabad is served by Allahabad Airport , which began operations in February 1966. The airport is from the city centre and lies in Bamrauli, Allahabad. As of now, Allahabad is connected to six cities by flight, where Air India's regional arm Alliance Air (India) connects Allahabad to Delhi and Indigo connects it to Bangalore. The nearest international airports are in Varanasi and Lucknow.
Allahabad Junction is one of the main railway junctions in northern India and headquarters of the North Central Railway Zone.
Buses operated by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and Allahabad City Transport Service are an important means of public transport for travelling to various parts of the city, state and outskirts. Auto Rickshaws have been a popular mode of transportation. Cycle rickshaws are the most economical means of transportation in Allahabad along with e-rickshaws.
There are several important National Highways that pass through Allahabad:
Cable-stayed bridge, New Yamuna Bridge, Allahabad (built 2001-04), is 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 (India), the longest Waterway in India, connects Allahabad and Haldia. A Rapid transit project for the city covering the entire metropolitan region is also underway.
The city generates 5,34,760 kg of domestic solid wastes daily, while the per capita generation of waste is 0.40 kg per day. The sewer service areas are divided into nine zones in the city. 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.
The Allahabad Metro is a proposed rapid transit system for the city. The proposed system will consist of two lines, an east-west line from Bamrauli to Jhunsi and a north-south line from Shantipuram in Phaphamau to Naini. Both lines will be about 20 km long. There will be a total of 39 stations, 20 on the east-west line and 19 on the north-south line. The project is expected to cost ₹8000 crores. Operations are expected to be started by 2023-24
IBM selected Allahabad among 16 other global cities for its smart cities programme to help it address challenges like waste management, disaster management, water management and citizen services. The company commenced working on solid waste management and power sector in generating renewable energy.
As a part of Smart City Project, Civil Lines, Allahabad is being developed on the lines of Lucknow's Hazratganj. A sum of ₹20 crore (US$3,024,000) has been sanctioned to Beautification all prominent crossings of the city. As per the plan, the administration proposed uniformity in signage and colour of buildings and a parking lot to be set up to solve traffic congestion. A 1.35 km long riverfront along Yamuna river would be developed by the Allahabad Development Authority, irrigation and power departments at a cost of ₹147.36 crore. The riverfront would be developed in two phases. In the first phase, around 650 metres at Arail would be developed along with the Yamuna, while in the second phase 700 metres of the stretch between New Yamuna Bridge and Boat Club in Kydganj would be taken up.
, a public engineering and management school
The Allahabad educational system is distinct from Uttar Pradesh's other cities, with an emphasis on broad education. Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh, the world's biggest examining body, is headquartered in the city. Although English is the language of instruction in most private schools, government schools and colleges offer Hindi and English-medium education. Schools in Allahabad follow the 10+2+3 plan. After completing their secondary education, students typically enrol in higher secondary schools affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
the Central Board of Secondary Education.
Allahabad attracts students from throughout India. As of 2017, the city has one Central University, India, two State University, India and an Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University. Allahabad University, founded in 1876, is the oldest university in the state. Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, founded in 1910, as "Agricultural Institute", is an autonomous Christian minority university in Allahabad. Other notable institutions in Allahabad include the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad; Motilal Nehru Medical College; Ewing Christian College; Harish-Chandra Research Institute; Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute; Allahabad State University and Institute of Engineering and Rural Technology.
Although Hindu women have traditionally worn saris, the shalwar kameez and Western attire are gaining acceptance among younger women. Western dress is worn more by men, although the dhoti and kurta are seen during festivals. The formal male sherwani is often worn with chooridar on festive occasions.
, owned by Indian political leader Motilal Nehru
Allahabad has a literary and artistic heritage; the former capital of the United Provinces, it was known as Prayag in the Vedas, the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. Allahabad has been called the "literary capital of Uttar Pradesh", attracting visitors from East Asia; the Chinese travellers Faxian and Xuanzang found a flourishing city in the fifth and seventh centuries, respectively. The number of foreign tourists, which mostly consisted of Asians, visiting the city was 98,167 in 2010 which subsequently increased to 1,07,141 in 2014. The city has a tradition of political graffiti which includes Limerick (poetry) and caricatures. The Anand Bhavan, built during the 1930s as a new home for the Nehru-Gandhi family when the Swaraj Bhavan became the local Indian National Congress headquarters, has memorabilia from the Gandhi-Nehru family.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Hindi literature was modernised by authors such as Mahadevi Varma, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. A noted poet was Raghupati Sahay, better known as Firaq Gorakhpuri. Gorakhpuri and Varma have received Jnanpith Awards. Allahabad is a publication centre for Hindi literature, including the Lok Bharti, Rajkamal and Neelabh. Persian language and Urdu literature are also studied in the city. Akbar Allahabadi is a noted modern Urdu poet, and Nooh Narwi, Tegh Allahabadi, Shabnam Naqvi and Rashid Allahabadi hail from Allahabad. English author and List of Nobel laureates#List of laureates Rudyard Kipling was an assistant editor and overseas correspondent for ''The Pioneer (newspaper)''.
Allahabad is noted for historic, cultural and religious tourism. Historic sites include Alfred Park, the Victoria Memorial and Thornhill Mayne Memorials, Minto Park, Allahabad Fort, the Allahabad Pillar and Khusro Bagh. Religious attractions include the Kumbh Mela, the Triveni Sangam and All Saints Cathedral, Allahabad. 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 Centre, under the 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 the International Film Festival of Prayag.
''The Leader (Allahabad newspaper)'' and ''The Pioneer (Indian newspaper)'' are two major English-language newspapers that are produced and published from the city;
All India Radio, the national, state-owned radio broadcaster, has AM broadcasting radio stations in the city. Allahabad has seven Frequency modulation stations, including two AIR stations: Gyan Vani and Vividh Bharti, four private FM channels: BIG FM 92.7, Red FM 93.5, Fever 104 FM and Radio Tadka and one educational FM radio channel Radio Adan 90.4 run by Allahabad Agricultural Institute. There is a Doordarshan Kendra in the city. Regional TV channels are accessible via Cable television, direct-broadcast satellite service
IPTV.
Cricket and Hockey are the most popular sports in Allahabad, with kabaddi, kho-kho, gilli danda and pehlwani are played in rural areas near the city. Gully cricket, also known as street cricket, is popular among city youth. There is an international-level swimming complex in Georgetown, Allahabad. The National Sports Academy in Jhalwa trains gymnasts for the Commonwealth Games. The Indira Marathon honours the late prime minister Indira Gandhi.
, List of people from Allahabad, Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-Rehabilitation