10 ALLAHABAD ESSENTIALS
Kumbh mela: The Kumbh mela is the showstopper at Allahabad every 12 years. The twomonth-long 2019 Kumbh, starting January, will be held at the Sangam as always. The Magh mela, a mini-Kumbh, takes place every year at the same site during the same time. Another nearby attraction is Akbar’s Fort. Inside it, is the famous Akshayavat, the tree where Lord Vishnu, according to legend, rested as a child.
House spotting: From the ’50s to the ’70s, Allahabad was the centre of Hindi literature. The holy trinity was Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’, Mahadevi Verma and Sumitranandan Pant. To look at their homes from the outside means a visit to Choti Vasuki, Daraganj (Nirala); New Katra (Pant) and Prayag Mahila Vidyalaya, Civil Lines (Mahadevi). Anand Bhawan:This two-storey-high bungalow on Katra Road was built to be used as a residence of the Nehru family in 1930. It has a fine museum housing the books and memorabilia of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Open: 9:30am-5:30pm
Breakfast: Netram in Katra (7am-10.30 pm) is where you get the best Varanasi-Illahabadi poori-sabji breakfast all day through. A plate of five kachoris is for ~60. Also try the sweets and the mango shake. Sweet street: Loknath in the Chowk area (10am-11pm) is where you must go at least once if you are in the city. Do visit: Nirala’s Chaat followed by dahi jalebi, then bhang thandai, fruit cream, rabri and Hari Namkeen’s masala samosas and assorted savouries.
Going Continental: The El Chico restaurant is the place for Continental cravings. Try the roast mutton and the special El Chico pudding for sure. A meal for one is close to ~800 (approx). At the restaurant’s pastry shop, go for the pineapple pastries and chicken patties.
For coffee: At a five-minute walk from El Chico is the Indian Coffee House. Try the keema dosa, a cup of hot coffee or a glass of cold coffee. A meal/snack for one is close to ~150 (approx). Open: 8am-10pm. Allahabad Museum: On Kamla Nehru Road, this museum has great exhibits: the pistol that Indian freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad had with him when he was shot in an encounter by the British; a Gandhara-era stone sculpture depicting the Nativity of the Buddha and a beautiful ivory sculpture of Mughal emperor Akbar holding a bird. Open: 10am-5.30pm. Festivals at NCZCC: Next to the Circuit House, is the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, better known as the NCZCC, an important cultural hub with special emphasis on the revival of the vanishing arts of India. Plus theatre. This is where you may chance upon a programme on the wedding songs of Bihar, the folk ballads of Uttar Pradesh or a Jaipuri quilt-making workshop.
Allahabadi amrood: Pink at its centre, the Allahabadi amrood or guava is a must-have. The season for it is about to begin and the place to have it is the stall at Khusro Bagh (Railway station, city side) where you could go for a walk and stop by the grave of emperor Jahangir’s rebel son, Khusrau.