New Delhi: The Mahakumbh Mela is one of the biggest Hindu festivals and it is held every 12 years. This year, the Mahakumbh Mela is being held in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh from January 13 to February 26. It is expected that crores of people from different parts of the country and even from foreign nations will attend the Mela. It is believed that if one bathes in the Mahakumbh, then all sins of that person would go away, helping that individual to attain salvation. Interestingly, Prayagraj is the place of the holy confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
Prayagraj to Allahabad: An evolution since ancient times
Prayagraj is one of the oldest cities in India and in ancient scriptures it is known as ‘Prayag’ or ‘Teertharaj’ and is considered one of the holiest of pilgrimage centres of India. It is located close to Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. A historical city with a rich past and present, Prayagraj has been hailed as a holy land since the ancient times. It is a city where people from different communities co-exist in harmony.
A city mentioned in ancient scriptures
Prayagraj has been prominently mentioned in the ancient scriptures like the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Hindu mythology states that Lord Brahma, the God of Creation, chose Prayag to perform the ‘Prakrista Yag’ at the beginning of the creation. Hence, Lord Brahma is also known as Tirth raj or the ‘king of all pilgrimage centres’.
Mughal Emperor Akbar and Illahabas
According to Akbarnama, the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the Mughal Emperor visited the region in 1575. The strategic location of the place impressed him immensely, so much so that he ordered the construction of a fort. In 1584, the fort was constructed and Akbar named the city Illahabas or “Abode of Allah”. In the early 17th century, during the reign of Jahangir, Allahabad was a provincial capital in the Mughal Empire.
Transformation from Illahabas to Allahabad
Since the time of Shah Jahan, the name of the place changed from Illahabas to Illahabad. During the British colonial rule in India, the name of the place changed to ‘Allahabad’ as it was easier to pronounce. The ancient city, which was once known as Prayag, came to be known as Allahabad, a name which would stick with it for more than 100 years.
The city was an important setting for the Indian freedom struggle against the British rule with Anand Bhawan being the epicentre as it was the home of the Nehru family. It was in Allahabad that Mahatma Gandhi proposed to follow the path of non-violence to liberate India from the British rule. Allahabad was a participant in the 1857 Indian Rebellion and it was there that Queen Victoria’s proclamation, transferring India’s control from the East India Company to the British Crown was read by Earl Canning, then Viceroy of India.
Allahabad to Prayagraj: Back to the roots
After Indian gained Independence, whenever the BJP came to power in the state government, it tried to change the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj. In 1992, there was a plan to rename the city but it was shelved after Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was forced to resign following the Babri Masjid demolition. Later, when Rajnath Singh became the UP CM, another attempt was made but again it remained unfulfilled. Finally, in October 2018, the government of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath changed the city’s name to Prayagraj.
Prayagraj, host of the Mahakumbh Mela, boasts a rich history, evolving from ancient Prayag, mentioned in scriptures like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, to Allahabad under Mughal and British rule. Its name reflects this journey, shifting from Prayag to Illahabas, then Allahabad and finally reverting to Prayagraj in 2018. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
