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Allahabad , or Settled by God in ancient Persian (now called Dari), is a name given by Mughal kings to the ancient Prayag , being the second oldest city of India, in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and administrative headquarters of Allahabad District. Allahabad is one of the fastest growing cities in India at present. It is located 205 kilometers (127 mi) south of state capital Lucknow. The ancient name of the city Prayag (Sanskrit frères to it as a "place of sacrifice") and is believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world. It is one of four sites of the mass Hindu pilgrimage Kumbh Mela, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. It has a position of importance in Hindu scriptures for it is situated at Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna, and the ancient Sarasvati River. Allahabad is home to seven out of fourteen Prime Ministers of India. Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar were all either born in Allahabad, were alumni of Allahabad University or got elected from a constituency in Allahabad. The Government of India has selected Allahabad as one of the mission cities for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, with the goals of improving urban infrastructure, efficient governance and basic services to urban citizens.
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