Triveni Sangam
In Hindu tradition Triveni Sangam is the "confluence" of three rivers.
Sangama is the Sanskrit word for confluence. The point of confluence is a
sacred place for Hindus. A bath here is said to flush away all of one's sins
and free one from the cycle of rebirth.
One such Triveni Sangam, in Prayag (Allahabad) has two physical rivers -
Ganges and Yamuna - and the invisible Saraswati River.
The site is in Prayag, India. A place of religious importance and the site
for historic Kumbh Mela held every 12 years, over the years it has also been
the site of immersion of ashes of several national leaders, including
Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
The rivers maintain their identity and are visibly different as they merge.
While the Yamuna is deep, calm, and greenish in colour, the Ganga is
shallow, forceful, and clear. The Saraswati remains hidden, but the faithful
believe that she makes her presence felt underwater. During the monsoon,
when the rivers are in full flow, the confluence is seen clearly due to the
force of the water.
The same force makes having a dip at the confluence difficult. While the
Ganges is only 4 feet deep, the 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, Hindu pilgrims take boats to bathe from platforms
erected at the confluence. This, together with the migratory birds give a
picturesque look to the river during the Kumbha Mela, in January. It is
believed that all the gods come in human form to take a dip at the sangam
and expiate their sins.
The Triveni Sangam is believed to be the place where drops of nectar fell
from the pitcher, from the hands of the Gods. 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 Ganga, Yamuna and Sarsvati at Sangam.
According to Hindu tradition, the Prakrista Yajna was performed here by Lord
Brahma. That is why Allahabad was known as Prayag in ancient times.
Allahabad (Prayag) is also called Tirtha-Raja (Prayag Raj), king of all holy
places. It is said that Lord Rama visited Prayag Raj/Allahabad when he was
in exile.
Getting There
The city is well connected with the rail lines to all major cities and towns
so people will not face any difficulty in reaching the place smoothly and
comfortably.
Allahabad has its own airport,
Allahabad Airport.
It is at a distance of 12 km (7.5 mi) from Allahabad city and is operational
for domestic flights. The other nearby Airports are based in Varanasi,
Lucknow and Kanpur.
Allahabad Junction is one of the major junctions in Northern India and there
are many trains that connect it to several other places such as Delhi,
Mumbai, Lucknow, Bhopal, Kolkata and Jaipur. Four important railway stations
of Allahabad are City Station at Rambagh, Daraganj Station, Prayag Station
and Allahabad Station.
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