The Sacred City of Three Rivers

Prayagraj - City, Southern Uttar Pradesh, Northern India. It is situated throughout the sacred sangam, the sangam of three holy rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. The City of Prayagraj is a most-visited pilgrimage destination for Hindus. One of the four divine rivers that act as host to Kumbh Mela, possibly the highest human gathering in the world, Prayagraj draws devotees, tourists, and artists from all over the globe. Numerous people visit this holy place during the Mahakumbh, which is conducted at Sangam every 12 years, and the Kumbh, which takes place every six years.

Following the Hindu Mythology, Lord Brahma chose a piece of land to conduct Prakrishta Yajna (a fire ritual). The place he opted was where the three divine rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati - met with one another. So, the city, glorified by the gods, was named Teerthraj or Prayag.

Prayagraj also had a significant role in India's fight for independence, a heritage that takes breath on two regal mansions that is known as Swaraj Bhawan and Anand Bhawan - the onetime living place of Motilal Nehru, the father of Swatantra India's former and first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Swaraj Bhawan was also the place of the start of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence movement in 1920. Presently, both buildings acts as muesuems that displays significant antiquities from that time.

Akshaya Vat

Situated inside the Prayagraj Fort complex in Patalpuri Temple, Akshaya Vat or Akshayvat is an old fig tree. After 2011, this tree can only be explored after taking permission from the Commandant of Allahabad Fort's Ordnance Depot. Only for one day at the time of the Kumbh Mela festival, this sacred spot is open for public visits.

The icon behind this holy and eternal tree is rooted in Hindu mythology. It is trusted that Lord Narayana flooded the whole earth for a short moment when the philosopher, Markandya, asked him to show his sacred power. Upon flooding, it was only the Akshayavat tree that remained sailing. Thus, it is considered to be the everlasting and sacred banyan tree.

Shankar Viman Mandapam

Shankar Viman Mandapam Temple, also popularly known as Shri Adi Shankar Vimana Mandapam Temple, situated in the famed city of Prayagraj (previously known as Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh, India, is a temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The four-level temple, situated north of the Triveni Sangam on the right edges of the Ganges, was constructed in honor of Adi Shankaracharya and comprises a South Indian Vimana form of architecture. The Temple comprises idols of Kumaril Bhatt, Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya, Kamakshi Devi, Tirupati Balaji, and Yogsahastra Sahastrayoga Linga, with 51 Shaktipeethas, 108 Vishnus, and 108 Shivalingas correspondingly. The temple is encircled by other temples. Shankar Viman Mandapam Temple is also popular for its peaceful and serene atmosphere. Many followers visit the temple to perform prayers and get blessings from Lord Shiva. The temple also draws a large pool of tourists who come to cherish the temple's structural beauty and learn about the rich cultural heritage of Prayagraj.

Magh Mela

Conducted every year in the holy city of Prayagraj, Magh Mela is a small form of the popular Kumbh Mela. Occurring at the sangam of the three most divine Indian rivers, Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, at Prayag near Prayagraj, the mela is conducted in the Hindu month of Magh (January/February) every year and is a much-anticipated event amongst the devotees. The Magh Mela draws a large pool of tourists and pilgrims every year, who want to cleanse their sins in the holy river at the time of the mela, which is extended over a period of 45 days. The Mela gets its label from its taking place in the Hindu month of "Magh" or the month of February as per the Gregorian calendar. Countless arrangements are made to serve the huge crowd the mela holds, thus making it one of the must-visit spiritual festivals in the country.