E-Paper
Allahabad Fort has unbroken link with Ordnance Services
THE SACRED land of Prayag has many historical monuments and sites. One such monument is Allahabad Fort which is known for its fine architecture. Situated at the confluence of sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati the fort also has within its ramparts a few unique mythological and historical sites like Ashoka Pillar, Rang Mahal, Akshay Vat, Saraswati Kup and Patalpuri temple.
THE SACRED land of Prayag has many historical monuments and sites. One such monument is Allahabad Fort which is known for its fine architecture.
Situated at the confluence of sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati the fort also has within its ramparts a few unique mythological and historical sites like Ashoka Pillar, Rang Mahal, Akshay Vat, Saraswati Kup and Patalpuri temple.
The fort was built by Emperor Akbar in 1583 AD to dominate the Ganga and Yamuna waterways. It remained with the Mughals till 1765 AD when it fell in the hands of Marathas for a short period and was eventually restored to Emperor Shah Alam in 1789 AD.
In 1798, Allahabad Fort was ceded to the East India Company and three years later it became a military station.
Right from the first day of the British occupation, Allahabad Fort housed the 'arsenal' for British Presidency Army of the East India Company. At present, the fort is a Command Depot.
Thus there is an unbroken link of this historic site with the Ordnance Services of various regimes since the days of Akbar the Great.
Entering into the fort is an experience in itself. The entire premises have been very well maintained by the army and it is doing an yeoman's service in maintaining and conserving the monument.
According to Wing Commander SM Sharma, PRO, Ministry of Defence, all the maintenance and conservation of the fort is undertaken with the resources available with the army.
The President's View site is the standing evidence of President Dr Rajendra Prasad's stay in the fort for the month-long 'kalpvas' during annual Magh Mela.
Located near it is the Saraswati Kup which is actually a deep well and it is believed that river Saraswati flows beneath it before merging with other two holy rivers.
The Patalpuri temple, which is open for the civilians, has several idols installed in its premises which could not be found elsewhere. According to the priest, Surendra Nath, the temple was built by Jodha Bai, wife of Akbar.
The rare architectural piece of Ashoka pillar has also been conserved safely by the army. The pillar is 35 feet in height and was built by Emperor Ashoka. His main purpose was the propagation of Buddhism as this pillar has the etchings of Ashoka's edicts.
Later, Samudra Gupt made use of the pillar as a standing proof of his sovereignty over the various nations. Mughal emperor Jahangir re-erected it to solemnise his accession to the throne in the year 1605 AD. The engravings on the pillar are in ancient scripts.
The 'undying tree' Akshay Vat finds special significance in Hindu religion. It is believed that it fulfils all the wishes and the devotees used it as a suicide point in order to attain moksha.
Akbar, however, stopped this practice during his reign. Akbar's grandson Aurangzeb tried to destroy it but it thrived again thus living up to its name.
Just before the entry point to this sacred site are the steps leading to the site which was the personal bathing place of Jodha Bai.
Another site of historical significance is Rang Mahal which is the example of merger of Indo-Islamic culture. Built by Akbar, it served as the theatre for display of dance. At present it is being conserved by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The annals of history could never be completed without mentioning the significance of Allahabad Fort.
