Prayagraj

Prayagraj, city, southern Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It is situated at the confluence of the Ganges (Ganga) and Yamuna (Jumna) rivers, about 65 miles (100 km) west-northwest of Varanasi (Benares).

Prayagraj stands on the site of ancient Prayag, a holy city that was comparable in fame to Varanasi and Haridwar. Prayag’s importance in the ancient Buddhist period of Indian history is attested by the inscriptions on a pillar attributed to the 3rd-century-bce Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The pillar—which is believed to have been erected in a nearby locality and moved to Prayagraj in Mughal times—still stands inside the gateway to the old Prayagraj fort, which is situated strategically at the confluence of the two rivers. The site’s religious importance to Hinduism persists. Each year a festival takes place at the rivers’ confluence, and every 12th year a much larger festival, Kumbh Mela, is attended by millions of devotees.

The present city of Prayagraj was founded in 1583 by the Mughal emperor Akbar, who named it Allahabad (Ilāhābād, “City of God”). It became a provincial capital during the Mughal Empire, and from 1599 to 1604 it was the headquarters of the rebellious prince Salim (later the emperor Jahangir). Outside the Prayagraj fort is the tomb built for Jahangir’s rebellious son, Khusru. With the Mughal decline, Prayagraj changed hands many times before being ceded to the British in 1801. The city was the scene of a great massacre of Indians by the British in mid-1857, during the Indian Mutiny (1857–58) against British rule. From 1904 to 1949 the city was the capital of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). It was a centre of the Indian independence movement against British rule and was the home of the Nehru family, whose estate, Anand Bhawan, is now a museum.

Prayagraj has long been primarily an administrative and educational centre. It has a modest industrial base and is a marketplace for agricultural products. Tourism has grown in importance in the region, visitors being drawn to the many historic and religious sites located within and near the city. The administrative and professional sector and a military cantonment (base) are located north of the city proper. Prayagraj is a major road and rail hub and is served by a nearby airport. The University of Allahabad (1887) has a number of affiliated colleges, and there is an aviation training centre. The city has several museums. Prayagraj has a Government House dating from the British period, Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, and the Jāmiʿ Masjid, or Great Mosque.

In 2018 the government of Uttar Pradesh decided to change the name of the city from Allahabad to Prayagraj. The name change generated significant controversy among many residents of the city and faced challenges as it awaited official approval from the union government, which it received at the end of the year.

The surrounding area lies entirely on the Indo-Gangtic Plain. Rice, barley, wheat, and gram (chickpeas) are among the region’s chief crops. The ancient sites of Pratisthanpur (Hindu) and Kaushambi (Buddhist) are near the city. Pop. (2001) 975,393; (2011) 1,112,544.