Allahabad: A City Wherein Global Salutes The Local (Photo Feature Part 3)
I have no hesitation in admitting that Allahabad (ancient name Prayag) redefined my beingness.It made me down-to earth, allowing me to view life in its true shades. Although I tried my best to capture all the shades of Allahabad, I am sure I would have missed some beautiful locations. I hope future writers would explore these untouched places in a colourful way. However, in the last part of the photo feature, I have shifted my attention from modern landscape of Allahabad to areas which still remind of the ancient times. Infrastructural bottlenecks prevented me from using state-of-the-art technology in capturing the images and that made me bit depressed. However, now in the aftermath of the publication of photo features, I feel pretty satisfied that I still came to do some good work. These photo features are a tribute to great city Allahabad- my birthplace. A city that taught me how to emerge successful in rising above contradictions to have glimpse of the Absolute!

Such roads making their way through dusty colonies of Allahabad remind me of Varanasi! This road connects Anand Bhawan area with Katra. Katra is very poular among middle class section of Allahabad. It’s also most favourite destination of students; after all, it lies close to Allahabad University 🙂

It was cold and foggy when I came to visit Katra but observe the rush at this place. On ordinary days, this popular crossing at Katra is so full of people that traffic policemen are reduced to caricature of sorts while managing them!

One of the eminent hostels associated with Allahabad University. It’s named after Sir Sunder Lal, who in 1906 became the the first Indian Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University! He was by profession an advocate, who later also served as High Court Judge.

Right in front of one of the gates of Allahabad University-Oxford of the East !

One of the things which separates Allahabad University from Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi, is the quality of roads spread in University area 😛 😛 .. The streets adjacent to Benaras Hindu University are so much in love with potholes that while walking you have to look downwards all the time with fear ha..ha ..ha ..That’s not the case in Allahabad 😛 😛 😛

Once upon a time I always ventured on these beautiful roads situated on the Allahabad University’s Campus 🙂

In my days it was not a Central University. Today, it has attained the status of being a Central University!

Road adjacent to Allahabad University…When you move ahead on this road arrives Prayag Railway Station!

Notice the activities on main University Road. Streets remain the same but faces of students get changed!

The most prominent Sports Complex in Allahabad! It’s named after movie superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who hails from this city 🙂

CMP Degree College in Allahabad- a constituent college of Allahabad University. It has produced great students in past. And so it really saddens me when I hear about stories of violence, disruption of studies on its campus. I had been student of this college and we remember that in our batch most of the students came to score more than students of Allahabad University in prominent subjects like Philosophy, English Literature, Physics and etc. !

And under this great tree Philosophy and English Literature students often had great discussions. Long Live This Cute Tree 😛 😛 😛

At this place it was so hard to control the tears..At this place I found some great teachers like Anand Srivastava Sir (Philosophy), K K Ghatak Sir (English Literature), K C Srivastava (Ancient History) and many others who imparted so many values to young and fresh minds like us! In fact, they were generous enough to give additional lectures in staff room during lunch hours!

I hope new students who become part of this great college would keep its standards high. I am happy to notice that most of my friends from this college of that batch, from both Arts and Science Wings, have done exceptionally well in their post college lives! And I should not hesitate to state that I also fell in love with someone at this place 🙂

This cute Krishna Temple in Meerapur area makes me smile. That’s because this area has prominent Shakti Peeths of Allahabad: Lalita Devi Temple And Kalyani Devi Temple!

Goddess Lalita Devi Temple In Meerapur Area! It’s one of the Shakti Pithas in Allahabad!

Actvities like Ved Paatha always takes place inside Lalita Devi Temple 🙂 Sadly, I could not get a better image 😦

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Allahabad. It was established by by Swami Vijnanananda in year 1908! He was a monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna!

Meditation room inside this Mission having images of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada Deviji, Swami Vijnanananda ji and Swami Vivekananda ji!

Swami Nikhilatamanandaji, current head of this center in Allahabad, giving lecture on relevance of Swami Vivekananda’s views in modern times!|

Khusro Bagh in Allahabad…A place that gives glimpse of Mughal architecture. It has “tombs of Khusrau Mirza (died 1622), eldest son of emperor Jahangir, Shah Begum, Khusrau’s mother (died 1604), a Rajput princess and Jahangir’s first wife, and that of Princess Sultan Nithar Begam.” (Text borrowed from Wiki)

This place cultivates best varieties of Guava. This park is about to get the status of National Eco-Knowledge Park!

As informed earlier such parks in Allahabad are often occupied by students preparing for competitive exams…See how they are engaged in studies 🙂

Very old Banayan Trees inside Khusro Bagh…If you sit under them you are bound to engage in deep meditation 😛

Very Beautiful Scene Inside Khusro Bagh…Leaves Everywhere…A Very Striking Image Both Philosophically And Aesthetically 🙂

A flower fallen on ground yet it has such a bright smile 😛 ..We should be like this flower: Broken and dejected yet always smiling 🙂 🙂 🙂 Anyway, it’s called flower of Semal Tree (Bombax cieba)

That’s commonly called Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba). In India it’s called Semal and we often notice this tree along the road in Allahabad!

May Lord always give such unfortunate souls enough to eat! I wonder why state-governments do nothing for these abandoned souls? It’s really a sad scene!

And these are fortunate souls, who came to take a dip at Sangam during Kumbh Mela..Now they are happily returning back to their respective places! They come from distant lands, facing all sorts of hardships!

Unlike women from cities, these rural woman are quite tough both physically and mentally! The city women are usually bit lazy types 😛 😛 😛

Varanasi sees foreign visitors throughout the year but in Allahabad foreign visitors come only during special occasions like Kumbh Mela, International Conferences and etc. Here they are seen waiting for train at Allahabad Junction!

This pic is especially for the likes of Sucheta ji and Carmenji living in foreign lands 🙂 I hope Suchetaji, living in USA, comes to notice at least one cute activity taking place on Indian roof 😛 😛 Kids from my family having a great time on the rooftop 🙂

Kids engaged in serious discussion right in the middle of the street! Kids have become so serious nowadays 😛 😛

A Railway Over-bridge close to my locality!! And notice one guy walking in the middle of the railway tracks! That’s why tragedies take place!

Activities Near Baluva Ghat. Well, ghat in India signifies that we are close to the bank of a river!

Ma Yamuna ji ..She is very dear to Lord Krishna 🙂 And I am really disappointed to see so much garbage on its banks..Let’s not forget that it’s a very busy place owing to religious ceremonies taking place throughout the year.

India is land of great rivers and great mountains. It’s our duty to keep them clean. Why are we so casual in keeping them in good shape? Hope Sri Yamunaji remains evergreen in this nation. Just see what we have done to her in Delhi area! Let’s not the same happens to her in Allahabad. Jai Sri Yamunaji..Pranama to Everybody: Sri Radha Krishna, Gopas, Gopikas And Cows 😛 😛 😛
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: City Of True Beauty, Real Romance And Mysticism (Photo Feature Part 2)
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