Sangam at Allahabad

Sangam at Allahabad

Triveni Sangam is the confluence of three rivers (Ganga, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati River) near Allahabad, India.

Background

"Sangama" is the Sanskrit word for confluence. The Triveni Sangam in Allahabad is a confluence of three rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Of these three, the river Saraswati is invisible and is said to flow underground and join the other two rivers from below. The point of confluence is a sacred place for Hindus. A bath here is said to wash away all one's sins and free one from the cycle of rebirth. The sight of the Sangam is a treat to the eyes. One can see the muddy and pale-yellow waters of Ganga merging with the blue waters of Yamuna. The Ganga is only 4 feet deep, while Yamuna is 40 feet deep near the point of their nexus. The river Yamuna merges into the Ganges at this point and the Ganges continues on until it meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal. At the confluence of these two great Indian rivers, where the invisible Saraswati conjoins them, many tirtha yatris take boats to bathe from platforms erected in the Sangam. This, together with the migratory birds give a picturesque look to the river during the kumbh, in the month of January. It is believed that all the gods come in human form to take a dip at the sangam and expiate their sins.

The pollution of this great river is a grave cause of concern for all religious-minded people. Although on paper the Government has spent crores of rupees to cleanse the Ganga, corruption has left the river in no better state, despite the river being venerated by all those high-placed industrialists, judges and politicians. Above all, the common man has never given thought to keeping it clean. This was the river where an earlier Prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi used to come for a holy dip. The people should take urgent steps to stop the pollution of this great, holy river, where the "nectar pot" was kept, as stated in the Puranas. On the bank of Ganga at Daraganj, just before the confluence of ganga and Yamuna,the well known statistician Ravindra Khattree, spent his early years when he attended Ewing Christian College, situated on the bank of Yamuna few miles before the confluence. On the other bank of the river Ganga at Arail is located the Maharshi Institute of Management, named for Maharshi Mahesh Yogiwho was a student at the University of Allahabad. The Harish Chandra Research Institute, named after the famous mathematician Harish Chandra, from Allahabad is also located on the same side in the village of Jhusi.

Religious significance

The Triveni Sangam is believed to be the same place where drops of Nectar fell from the pitcher, from the hands of the Gods. So it is believed that a bath in the Sangam will wash away all one's sins and will clear the way to heaven. Devout Hindus from all over India come to this sacred pilgrimage point to offer prayers and take a dip in the holy waters. The sacred Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years on the banks of the Sangam. According to myth, the Prakrista Yajna was performed here by Lord Brahma. That is how Allahabad received its ancient name, "Prayag". Allahabad is also called "Tirtha-Raja" (Prayag Raj), king of all holy places. It is said that Lord Rama visited Allahabad when he was in exile.

ee also

* Uppinangadi


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sangam (disambiguation) — Sangam may refer to: *Sangam, a collection of Tamil literature *Sangam at Allahabad, a confluence at Allahabad *Sangam, Srikakulam district, a triveni sangam in Andhra Pradesh *Sangam, Nellore district, a village in Andhra Pradesh *Sangam World… …   Wikipedia

  • Allahabad — Allahabad …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Allahabad University — Muir Central College, now part of the Science Faculty of Allahabad University Motto Quot Rami Tot Arbores Motto in English As Many Branches, So Many Trees …   Wikipedia

  • Allahabad district — is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Allahabad town is the district headquarters. Allahabad district is a part of Allahabad Division.Allahabad is a holy city in Hindu religion, also known as Prayag. It is a place where the …   Wikipedia

  • Sangam, Srikakulam district — Sangam is a village and a pilgrimage site in Vangara mandal in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. [ http://panchayat.gov.in/adminreps/viewpansumr.asp?selstate=02 pno=341 ptype=V ] It is about 56 kilometers from Srikakulam… …   Wikipedia

  • Places of interest in Allahabad — Allahabad,a city in the State of Uttar Pradesh,India is an important tourist destination attracting a large number of tourists annually.Enriched with a glorious history and being one of the oldest cities in the world, Allahabad has several… …   Wikipedia

  • Allahabad — Infobox Indian Jurisdiction native name = Allahabad latd = 25.45 longd = 81.85 state name = Uttar Pradesh district = Allahabad leader title = Mayor leader name = Mr.Jitendr Nath Singh altitude = 98 population as of = 2001 population total = 1,015 …   Wikipedia

  • History of Allahabad — Allahabad is one of the largest cities of the State of Uttar Pradesh in India. It encompasses a large area and is an inland peninsula surrounded by the rivers Ganga and Yamuna from three sides with only one side connected to the mainland. Along… …   Wikipedia

  • Yamuna — Verlauf der Yamuna DatenVorlage:Infobox Fluss/GKZ fehlt …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ganges — otherusesGeobox River name = Ganges native name = Ganga map caption = Map showing the course of the Ganges and selected tributaries country = India country1 = Nepal country2 = Bangladesh city = Haridwar city1 = Soron city2 = Kannauj city3 =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”