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Allahabad(About this sound , is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Allahabad District. Allahabad is the seventh most populous city in Uttar Pradesh, with an estimated population of 1.74 million living in the city and district area. In 2011, it was ranked the world's 130th fastest growing city. Allahabad is also known as the "city of prime ministers" because post independence 7 out of 13 prime minister of India belonged to Allahabad ( Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar). All these seven leaders were either born in Allahabad, were alumni of Allahabad University, or got elected from a constituency in Allahabad.[1]
The city's original name�Prayaga, or "place of sacrifice"�comes from its position at the sacred union of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. It is the second-oldest city in India and plays a central role in the Hindu scriptures. The city contains many temples and palaces. Allahabad is located on in the southern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is bounded by Pratapgarh in the north, Bhadohi in the east, Rewa in the south and Kaushambi in the west. Its area is 63.07 km2 (24.35 sq mi). Allahabad contains many suburbs. While the city and surroundings are governed by several municipalities, a large portion of Allahabad District is governed by the Allahabad City Council. The demonym of Allahabad is Allahabadi.
Allahabad was originally founded as Kaushambi (Now a separate district) by the Kuru rulers of Hastinapur, who developed it as their capital. Since then, Allahabad has often being the political/ cultural/ administrative head of the entire Doab area and beyond. First as Kaushambi, then as Prathisthanpur. Later, the Mughal emperor Akbar renamed Prayag as Allahabad in 1526 and made it a prominent administrative centre again. As a large and growing city, Allahabad is home to many well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Many government offices of both central and state government lie within the city. Allahabad has hosted many large cultural and sporting events, including Kumbh Mela and Indira Marathon. Although Allahabad's economy was built on tourism, its main revenue now comes from real estate and financial services.
