Introducing Allahabad

Allahabad, 135km west of Varanasi, holds an important place in the Hindu religion. It’s here that two of India’s most significant and holy rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, meet. The mythical subterranean Saraswati River (River of Enlightenment) is also believed to join them here. On the banks of this confluence the biggest gathering of humanity in the world, the Kumbh Mela, takes place every 12 years, but every year there is a smaller religious fair, the Magh Mela. Of more immediate interest to travellers, though, are Allahabad’s grand Raj-era buildings, Mughal fort and tombs and the historic legacy of the Nehru family.