About the city
Known in tradition as Prayag and as Allahabad for several centuries, Prayagraj stands where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet — a place of pilgrimage, learning and political history.
The ancient name of the settlement at the confluence is Prayag, meaning a place of sacrifice. In 1583 the Mughal emperor Akbar established a fortified city here, and the name that came into wide use was Allahabad. In 2018 the state government renamed the city Prayagraj.
Prayagraj lies in southern Uttar Pradesh at the meeting point of the Ganga and the Yamuna. Hindu tradition holds that a third river, the Saraswati, joins them underground — which is why the confluence is called Triveni, the braid of three.
The city is one of the sites of the Kumbh Mela, and hosts the annual Magh Mela in the winter month of Magh. Bathing at the Sangam, darshan of Akshayavat and visits to temples such as Bade Hanuman Mandir, Mankameshwar, Alopi Devi and Nagvasuki form the traditional pilgrimage circuit.
Prayagraj was closely tied to the national movement. Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan, the Nehru family homes, were centres of political work, and the city is associated with figures including Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Purushottam Das Tandon and Chandra Shekhar Azad.
Ancient period
The site at the confluence is known as Prayag and appears in Hindu religious literature as a place of sacrifice and pilgrimage.
3rd century BCE
An Ashokan pillar associated with the Mauryan period stands in the area now within the fort complex.
1583
The Mughal emperor Akbar founds a fortified city at the confluence and names it Ilahabas, which later becomes Allahabad.
19th century
Under British rule the city becomes an administrative and judicial centre, and the seat of the High Court of the North-Western Provinces.
1885 onwards
The city plays a significant role in the national movement; the Indian National Congress holds an early session here and Anand Bhavan becomes a centre of political activity.
1931
Chandra Shekhar Azad dies in a gun battle with police in Alfred Park, later renamed Chandra Shekhar Azad Park.
2018
The Uttar Pradesh government renames Allahabad as Prayagraj, restoring the older name Prayag in an extended form.
Present
Prayagraj is a divisional headquarters, a major pilgrimage destination and a centre for higher education and competitive-exam preparation.
The University of Allahabad, founded in 1887, is among India's oldest universities. The city is also home to the Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad, the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Moti Lal Nehru Medical College and a large ecosystem of competitive-exam coaching.
Note: IIT Kanpur is in Kanpur, not Prayagraj, and is not listed here.
Prayagraj functions as an administrative, judicial and educational centre. The Allahabad High Court, government offices, pilgrimage tourism, trade and small-scale industry shape much of the local economy.
The city is known for its guava, for street food such as kachori-sabzi, samosa, chaat and lassi, and for old sweet shops in Chowk and Katra. Its literary and Hindi publishing traditions remain a strong part of local identity.