Sangam
Confluence of three of the holiest rivers
Around 7 km from Civil Lines, overlooked by the eastern ramparts of the fort, wide flood plains and muddy banks protrude towards the sacred Sangam. The sacred Sangam is the confluence of three of the holiest rivers in Hindu mythology – Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. At the Sangam, the waters of the Ganges and the Yamuna can be distinctly seen to merge into one. It is during the Kumbh/Ardh Kumbh that the Sangam truly comes alive, attracting the devout from all across the country. At the point at which the brown Ganges meets the Greenish Yamuna, pandas (priests) perch on small platforms to perform puja and assist the devout in their ritual ablutions in the shallow waters. Boats to the Sangam, used by pilgrims and tourists alike, can be rented at the ghat immediately east of the fort. On the way to the Sangam, aquatic salesmen loom up on the placid waters selling offerings such as coconuts for pilgrims to discard at the confluence. Once abandoned, the offerings are fished up and sold on to other pilgrims – a blatant if efficient form of recycling.
Near Sangam
More to see around Uttar Pradesh.
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Sight
Aarti at Varanasi
This is particularly interesting to see in Varanasi where elaborate Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh ghat is held every evening, just after sunset.
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Sight
Agra Fort
The great Mughal Emperor Akbar commissioned the construction of the Agra Fort in 1565, A.D. although additions were made till the time of his grandson Shah Jehan.
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Sight
Allahabad
Allahabad is an inscrutable place and the ideal way to untie its ambiguity is by exploring it on a walking trip among its narrow alleys and bustling streets.
