Allahabad: City Of True Beauty, Real Romance And Mysticism (Photo Feature Part 2)

Many find Allahabad a very tough place to live an honourable life. That’s because  even though it came to enjoy a wonderful divine legacy, it never  ensured  a desired vibrancy for average souls. It never created any scope for living a truly fun-filled life, being all the time involved in dry intellectual activities.  Lack of  proper encouragement on the part of city towards its vast pool of talented brains have now given way to brain drain sort of affair. Many great souls remained an unsung hero in this city. However, what’s amazing is that it keeps on producing great souls at a regular interval! In nutshell, it’s a city of true beauty, real romance and mysticism. The city teaches you how to remain true to life in a real way, making it very clear to any conscious soul that life is not a bed of roses and it is meant to discover new mysteries of nature. Naturally, average souls running after money, fame, beautiful girl, big house, big car and many other cosmetic affairs would always feel disappointed to be part of this city. Having said that, I hope this city learns to truly honour its exceptional souls and also learns to be bit more blissful!  

 

That’s one of the major Lord Hanuman Ji’s temples situated in the heart of the city.. Anyway, it’s so ironic to see love birds engaged in romantic talks at this place 😛

The Streets Of Civil Lines Make People Of Other Areas Jealous 😛

Hard to forget this guy…During university days, I came to buy so many great classics, costly magazines at very reasonable rates..And this person made way for all sorts of desired adjustment. He proudly told me that someone from Times of India also came to click image of his magazine corner…This shop is hot favourite among students! Although Internet has affected the sales, it was good to anticipate the great spirit of his father, also seen in the pic, who digested the change in philosophical way. Now that’s called wisdom!

Quite a romantic place to have tea! It’s adjacent Company Garden!

 

When I say it’s a romantic place I really mean it too..Just close to this tea shop in Civil Lines area we have many beautiful plant nurseries.. So the air is full of fragrance 😛

Allahabad’s museum inside Chandra Shekhar Azad Park (Alfred Park or Company Garden). This museum displays the vehicle which carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi for immersion at Sangam and many other articles of great historical significance!

This park established in the memory of great revolutionary Chandra Shekhar Azad is now favourite place for morning walkers living in the heart of city.. In the noon time, one notices new- age romance 😛 Anyway, it’s a great place for an outsider wishing some isolated hours!

At such places, like this old man, one gets lost in deepest memories hidden in subconsciousness!

Company Garden has the honour of having this wonderful Government Public Library. This majestic building built in Gothic style was designed by R. Roskell Bayne. This building is of immense significance since here only Legislative Council for the North Western Province and Oudh held its first meeting on January 8, 1887. Let’s not forget that Allahabad was capital city  of United Provinces from 1902 to 1920! Anyway, I am happy that in my college days I was the most frequent visitor! Even now also I can be seen here 😛

It’s not that one notices only romance in parks..In Allahabad most of such parks are occupied by serious students preparing for competitive examinations!

And those students who are not studying inside Company Park are seen ferociously involved in Cricket match 😛 ..This is the biggest park of Allahabad.

Just see the vastness of the park that many teams are playing at the same time 😛 😛 😛

Saint Joseph’s college  which lies adjacent to Company Garden 😛

That’s the road which connects Company Garden with  Civil Lines-the heart of city dominated by glamour and modernity!

The Mall Culture In Civil Lines!

Well, this new age glamour does attract me but not for long!

Statue of Subhas Chandra Bose Amidst Mall Culture 😛

Laxmi Book House is first choice of any journalist! By the way, how many times do you notice cinema hall and prominent magazine/newspaper corner close to each other 😛 😛 😛

Palace Theater enjoys a great place in the memories of all good cinema lovers. It’s one of the oldest theaters in the city. However, its old charm has given way to this new modern appearance ! My choice also witnessed drastic changes from “Thodi Se Bewafai” (1980) to ” Ship of Thesus” (2012) at this Palace Theater 😛 😛 😛

However, this historic cinema hall in old Allahbad, Niranjan, failed to start again. This hall needs to be renovated at the earliest. Two prominent movies which I came to see here when they got released were Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi(1982) and Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993).

Indian Coffee House enjoys a special place in hearts of all literary class. It has witnessed many great literary and political figures carving a niche for themselves at global level since late 50s!

Resting place of capitalist forces 😛

Worried about your future 😛 Consult this astrologer  at Civil Lines under this tree 😛

A Tree taken aback by pomp and show at Civil Lines 😦

Public Service Commission – an office where my father worked as an officer. And we lived in the residence situated on the huge campus of this office. Later, we shifted to Lucknow branch of the same office! Allahabad is city devoted to prominent government offices in Uttar Pradesh. Civil Lines area is mainly occupied by such government institutions.

Allahabad is also known for coaching institutes!!

And that’s the place where I work: Allahabad High Court 😛

Greenery is in abundance at Allahabad High Court 😛 😛 😛

Nearly all newspapers have their offices in Civil Lines area. However, Northern India Patrika’s office holds a special place in my heart. This is one of the oldest newspapers in India which started in year 1868. It was then named Amrita Bazar Patrika. Today, all good news editors and journalists are by-products of this newspaper. Today it’s  financially not that successful but editors like V.S. Datta have kept its standards high. V.S Datta, senior-most journalist from Allahabad, is its editor since early 60s. And when my first article appeared in print in this newspaper in year 1995 he was the one responsible for its publication. I owe a lot to him for all my accomplishments  as a writer/journalist. May Lord give him long life and good health!

A Journalistic road..The road running parallel to Patrika House!

Lawyer’s Hanuman Temple 😛 😛 😛 It’s situated close to Allahabad High Court. Most of the lawyers first have Hanumanji’s blessing and then proceed towards their respective chambers 😛 😛 😛 …

Geeta Niketan Temple In Tula Ram Bagh!

 

These areas are so over-crowded that one thinks twice before paying a visit ! This place is called Kotha Parcha. Courtesy Telephone Department that I have to come here quiet often to buy phone related instruments  😦

One of the busiest rail bridge!

Pathar Chatti Ramleela Committee’s Venue which hosts many programmes related with cause of Hindus! It’s situated in Ram Bagh area of Allahabad.

This Hanumanji’s temple in Rambagh is also quite well-known temple in Allahabad 🙂 Hanumanji rocks in Allahabad 😛

Cute Street At Rambagh!

It’s a place which gives rise to new doctors 😛 😛 😛

Allahabad has proper roads, any doubt? 😛 😛

Theosophical Society in Allahabad. ” Blavatsky portrayed the Theosophical Society as being part of one of many attempts throughout the millennia by this hidden Hierarchy to guide humanity – in concert with the overall Intelligent Cosmic Evolutionary scheme – towards its ultimate, immutable evolutionary objective: the attainment of perfection and the conscious, willing participation in the evolutionary process.”

 

Roads teach you a lot!

This place bears testimony to meeting of Rishi Bharadwaja with Lord Rama…However, this park is nowadays chosen spot of lovers 😛 ..Anyway, meeting of Sri Rama, Sri Vishnu’s incarnation, with Rishi Bharadwaja would always remain one of the most significant moments in the history of Prayag!

 

Sometimes some places in Allahabad give you the feeling that you are moving in Kashi 🙂

That’s the ancestral home of India’s first prime minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru which Indians know as Anand Bhawan. It played a significant role in Indian freedom movement. That’s why visitors never miss this place 🙂

Hope new generation gets right message from being at such places. This place also has a famous planetarium.

Places like Anand Bhawan are not picnic spots but these places are now best remembered for spending few hours in fun-filled way..Anyway, historical legacy has ensured survival of these small shopkeepers selling eatables!

P.S. :- The copyright of these images rests with the author of this post. Anybody making use of them without prior permission of the author, or without giving due credit to the author, could be penalized as per legal norms.

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Reference:

Allahabad: A City Wedded To Realism (Photo Feature Part One)

Allahabad: A City Wherein Global Salutes The Local (Photo Feature Part 3)