Pilgrims take a bath at this Triveni Sangam whenever they visit Prayagraj, being the most famous place of pilgrimage. This converging point is called ‘Triveni Sangam’. The three sacred rivers of India i.e., Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati converge at Prayagraj of which the Saraswati river is said to be invisible. The post-Vedic period be it the era of Islamic rule or the British rule, all considered Prayagraj and Her Sangam to be of strategic importance. The city has been important not only in the Vedic period or in connection to the Vedic scriptures. Its greatness extends beyond our existing knowledge and understanding. It is also said to be the birthplace of Soma, Varuna, and Prajapati. It was the seat of great Sages like Bharadwaj Muni, Durvasa Muni, Pannas Muni, etc. All of the scriptures glorify the greatness of this holy city. Prayagraj finds mention as far as the Rig-Veda, Padma Purana, Brahma Purana, Mahabharata, etc. It was the epicentre of the Indian independence movement too. It is an important city in Uttar Pradesh which houses a High Court bench, the University of Allahabad, and many other iconic landmarks. The Government of Uttar Pradesh had renamed Allahabad back to its original name in October 2018.
Prayagraj was officially called Allahabad/Illahabad from 1575 CE to 2018 CE. Lord Brahma has said, prayaagasya pravesheshu paapam naashyanti tatkshanam: “All sins are at once cleansed upon entering Prayag.” Prayagraj: a brief history It is the king of all tirthas and is dear to Lord Vishnu.” By bathing there one goes to heaven, and by dying there one gets liberation. The Varaha Purana states: “In Prayag there is the Triveni. Prayaagamiti tannama krtam hariharaadibhihĪfter looking at the place filled with yajna performance and charity, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and other devatas named it as Prayag. Prakrshtam sarvebhyah prayaagamiti giyateĭrishtvaa prakrshtayaagebhyah pushtebhyo dakshinadibhih It means that the name ‘Prayag’ is used owing to its greatness while the suffix ‘raj’ is used along to signify its supremacy and greatness. Prakrishtt tvaat prayaago asau praadhaanyaad raaj shabdavaan One such instance is from the Brahma Purana where it is said: But the name Prayagraj is also confirmed in the Vedic puranas. It has been generally called as Prayag anciently and in the scriptures. And Prayagraj also means the king of all sangams.
Prayag in Sanskrit also means the confluence of the rivers or sangam. Lord Brahma is said to have performed the first yajna i.e., sacrifice here after the completion of creation and hence, the name Prayag. Pra means first and yag refers to yajna i.e., sacrifice. The name Prayag comes from the combination of ‘Pra’ and ‘yag’. It has a history dating million and even billions of years. It is also known by the names Sangam Nagari, Kumbha Nagari, Tambu Nagari, etc. It is referred to as ‘King of all Tirthas’. Prayagraj is a very famous place of pilgrimage in India.