Prayagraj

Prayagraj (historically Allahabad), at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers in Uttar Pradesh, hosts the world's largest human gathering: the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 drew an estimated 660 million visits over 45 days (January 13 to February 26, 2025) — the largest assembly of human beings in recorded history, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• The Triveni Sangam (the precise point of the three-river confluence, reached by boat from Sangam Ghat) is one of the most sacred sites in Hinduism: a holy bath here during the Kumbh Mela is believed to cleanse all sins of past lives and grant moksha.
• Outside the Kumbh season, the Sangam remains a year-round pilgrimage site for ritual bathing, boat rides at dawn, and the floating aarti at dusk.
• The Allahabad Fort (1583 CE, Akbar — closed to non-military visitors except for the Patalpuri Temple and the Akshaya Vat — the immortal banyan tree that pilgrims circle as a sacred rite), the Anand Bhavan (the Nehru-Gandhi family ancestral home, now a national museum with the original study of Motilal Nehru and the rooms where Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi lived — open Tuesday-Sunday), and the Khusro Bagh (a Mughal-era garden with three white sandstone tombs, a quiet heritage park open daily) complete the city circuit.
• The Bharadwaj Ashram (the Valmiki-era ashram associated with the Ramayana near the Yamuna bank) and the Mankameshwar Temple are the Vaishnavite and Shaivite pilgrimage anchors in the city proper.
• For vegetarian travellers, Prayagraj is strong: the city's chaat culture is famous (pani puri at Swarup Lal Lachhi Wale, the family shop operating since the 1940s on Civil Lines; aloo tikki at the Sangam crossing stalls; thandai at the Civil Lines confectioneries).
• The special Kumbh Mela food culture includes kaleva (a traditional grain-and-ghee sattvic meal) and the free community kitchens (bhandaras) run by the major akharas and sects. October to March is comfortable.