SHANKAR VIMAN MANDAPAM AKSHYAVAT & PATALPURI TEMPLE
The This Temple was constructed by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti
Sangam
Peeth in 1986. It is built in a characteristically
Dravidian architectural form. The temple has three
storeys- one storey contains the statues of Adi
Akshayavat “the indestructible Banyan tree” is a
Shankarcharya, the next floor has the idols of Devi
sacred fig tree mentioned in Hindu mythology, and in
Kamakshi and 51 Shakti Peeths, a place of worship
Walk
Hindu texts. The Akshaya Vat tree has been
dedicated to the goddess (Shakti). The next Floor is
mentioned in great details by historians and travelers
dedicated to Venkateswara (Balaji) from Tirupati and
such as the Buddhist Pilgrim Hieun-tsang and the
108 Vishnu-peeths. The top floor contains a Sahasra
archaeologist, Alexander Cunningham. The tree is
Yoga linga with 108 Shivlingas surrounding it.
significant, for it is where Rama, Lakshman and Sita-
the protagonists of the Ramayana are said to have
The temple fuses northern and southern temple rested during their exile from Ayodhya.
architectural forms as well as the three paramparas
or traditions of Hinduism- Shaivism (Followers of
Patalpuri Temple :
Shiva), Vaishnavism (Followers of Vishnu) and
Shaktism (followers of the Goddess or Devi). The
temple’s walls are decorated and consecrated with Patalpuri Temple is one of the oldest temples in India
images of gods and goddesses and murals from the dating back to the vedic period. This beautifully
Ramayana. Classes for Sanskrit are held in the decorated underground temple is built within the
basement. The temple is open on all days, from 6:00 Allahabad fort close to the immortal tree Akshayavat.
AM to 1:00 PM and from 4:00 PM to 8:00 P.M.
BADE HANUMAN JI TRIVENI SANGAM
About Allahabad
Hanuman is the messenger of Ram and is as swift as The playwright Kalidasa described the confluence of
Allahabad was once called Prayag, or the “place of the wind. He is considered to be the repository of the white waters of the Ganga and the blue waters of
offerings”. It lies at Sangam or the Confluence of the incomparable strength, Knowledge and one who the Yamuna, as if they were a string of pearls and
Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers. It is liberates a person from dangers (Sankat) . The idol in sapphires combined, or a garland of white and blue
believed to be the Second oldest city in India, and plays the temple is in the supine position, or veer-mudra. lotuses intertwined.
a central role in Hindu scriptures. The story of how this came into being is very The Triveni Sangam in Allahabad is a confluence of
interesting. It is said that a wealthy but childless three rivers, the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Of
businessman from Kannauj, made an idol of Hanuman these three, the river Saraswati is invisible and is said
The Mughal Emperor Akbar renamed it Illahabad or from stones found in the Vindhyanchal hills. He
the city of God, which the British changed to to flow underground and join the other two rivers
decided to bathe the idol at several pilgrimage spots from below. The muddy, pale- yellow and mica-laden
Allahabad. Mark Twain, the American author, referred or teerth-sthans. When he arrived at Sangam, he had
to it as Godville. Allahabad became the capital of the and languid waters of the Ganges merge with the
a dream that if the idol is left here, all his wishes would vibrant, blue waters of Yamuna. The Ganges is only 4
North Western Provinces in 1858 and was the Capital of be fulfilled. He did so, and returned to Kannauj and
India for a day. feet deep and the Yamuna is 40 feet deep here During
his wife bore him a son. Soon the idol was submerged the annual flood, one can clearly see the point of
in the sand. It was discovered by a revered holy man, confluence.
The city played an important role in the Revolt of 1857. Mahatma Balagiri. The idol was installed where it was
Subsequently. it played a pivotal role in the freedom The Sangam or confluence is a pilgrimage spot
discovered and the temple became famous. It is said or teerth-sthan. A dip here, not only expiates sins, but
movement. The 1888 session of the Indian National that the divine will of Hanuman prevailed, and this
Congress was held in the city & by the turn of the 20th frees one from the cycle of birth and death. A teerth
prevented the idol from being made erect or being is a ford; the teerth-sthan allows the faithful to cross,
Century Allahabad became a revolutionary centre. transferred inside the fort. Ever since, it has been ford, the river of consciousness, from the earthly-
worshipped as lete (lying down) Hanuman. realm to that of divinity and immortality. In fact, it is
known as the King of Confluences or Prayag-raj.
ALLAHABAD FORT
QUICK FACTS : RAM GHAT GANGA AARTI
Area : 63.07 Sqkm.
Altitude : 98m above sea level
Temperature : 3°C -45.50°C
Average Annual Precipitation : 85 mm
Best Season : November – March
STD Code : 0532
AIR :
Bamrauli Airport, Tel No : +91 532 2581370
Air India Office Tel : 9793013874
Allahabad fort – or the lllahabas (“blessed by God”) The Ganga Aarti is one of the most beautiful
RAIL : fort, as it was then known, was built in 1583 by the experiences in India. The spiritually uplifting
Allahabad junction Station Tel : 138,139 Mughal Emperor Akbar and was home to one of his ceremony is performed daily to pay homage to the
Allahabad City Station (Rambagh) Tel. 0532-2557978 greatest military garrisons. Abul Fazl in his Akbarnama river Goddess Ganga. Every evening as dusk
Prayag Station Tel : 0532-2466831 explains that the fort grew out of [Akbar's] desire to descends, its time for the Ganga Aarti to be
Naini Station Tel : 0532-2697252 found a great city in the town of Piyag [ Prayag] where performed at the Ram Ghat. Its a very powerful and
the rivers Ganges and Jamuna merge. The fort uplifting spiritual ritual.
BUS : occupies a great vantage point even today, where it The Ganga Aarti takes place at the Ram Ghat,
UPSRTC Bus Stand, Civil Lines Tel: 0532-2407257 not only overlooks the Sangam, but also allows facing the river. Lamps are lit and circled around by
UPSRTC Bus Stand, Zero Road Tel: 07525022574,576 visitors to look down upon the modern city of pandits (priests) in a clockwise manner accompanied
Kumbh Mela : Allahabad. by chanting of songs in praise of Ganga. It is believed
Kumbh Mela Office Tel: 0532-2504011, 2504361 that the lamps acquire the power of the deity. The
Website: www.kumbh.gov.in The fort houses a 10 meter high Ashokan word 'aarti' is derived from the Sanskrit aaratrik,
Pillar, dating to the 3rd Century BCE, and believed to which means a form of worship, in which light from
Important Telephone Numbers : have been moved to the premises from the ancient lamps, with ghee (purified butter) or camphor is
D.M. Allahabad Tel : 2250300, 2440515 town of Kosam (now Koshambi). The complex also offered to one or more deities. The aarti symbolises
S.S.P. Allahabad Tel: 2440700, 2641902 boasts of three other unconventional attractions, the the five elements ether (akash), air (vayu) fire (Agni),
Foreigner's Registration Office (LIU) underground Patalpuri temple, the Akshaya Vat, or water (jal) and earth (Prithvi). After the ceremony is
Opp. Anand Bhawan Tel : 0532-2461097 the immortal banyan tree and the Saraswati Koop, complete, devotees cup their hands over the flame
Police Control Room, M.G. Marg Civil Lines which is widely revered as being the source of the and raise their palms to their forehead in order to
Allahabad: +91 9454402822, Ambulance: 102 & 108 mythical river Saraswati. acquire the goddess blessings. You need to witness
the event to actually comprehend its grandiose.
MG 2
Mar
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ad Alopi Devi
Ro
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Parade Ground 2
Shankar Viman Mandapam
ad Triveni Road
o Kumbh
iR 2
27 ven Mela Area I
Tri
Bade Hanuman Ji Ram Ghat
Gang
s e
Patalpuri Mandir
Akshay Vat
Allahabad Fort
KEY TO MAP
Route
Spots
Triveni Sangam
Boat Facilities
27 Boat Facilities
Map Not to Scale
Triveni Sangam
Arail Road
Arail Road
Adhyapak Colony
SANGAM WALK BOOKING DETAILS VARIOUS STREET FOOD
Best time for the walk
Summer - 04:00 PM to 06:30 PM
Winter - 03:30 to 05:30 PM
Contact No.: +91 532 2408873 Feast in the delicious Dehati Rasgulla at
Email: rtoald532@rediffmail.com Madhwapur, the aloo tikkis at Civil Lines
and various street food at Loknath.
OTHER RELIGIOUS ATTRACTIONS
Uttar Pradesh Tourism
Directorate of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh
Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon Paryatan Bhawan 1. Bharadwaj Aashram
C-13, Vipin Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Tel. : +91 522-2308993 2. Beni Madhav Mandir, Daraganj
For Booking/Tour Packages Related Query 3. Nagvasuki Mandir, Daraganj
Tel.: +91 522 4004402, 2612659 4. Dashashwamedh Mandir, Daraganj
Help Line No.: 1860 1801 364
Fax no.: +91 522 2308937 5. Sankatmochan Hanuman
Email: dg.upt1@gmail.com Mandir, Daraganj
Website: www.uptourism.gov.in 6. Aalopi Devi Mandir
Tourist information Centre 7. Kal Bhairav Mandir, Madhvapur
U.P. Govt. Regional Tourist Office. 8. Mankameshwar Mandir
35 MG Marg, Civil Lines Allahabad
Te. No.: +91-532-2408873
9. Someshwar Mahadev, Arail
Email:rtoald0532@rediffmail.com 10. Hanuman Mandir, Civil Lines
Tourist information Centre, U.P. Tourism 11. Akhileshwar Mahadev, Teliyarganj
Platform No. 1, Near Railway Facilitation Centre 12. Kalyani Devi Mandir, Kalyani Devi
Allahabad Junction Railway Station, Allahabad 13. Lalita Devi Mandir, Meerapur
UPSTDC UPTOURS: 14. ISKCON Temple, Baluaghat
Rahi IIAWART Tourist Bungalow, 35, MG Marg,
Civil Lines, Allahabad Tel no. 0532-2102784 15. Koteshwar Mahadev, Shiv Kuti
