Prayagraj

Prayagraj is the confluence city — the Triveni Sangam where the Ganga and Yamuna meet (with the Saraswati present by tradition), and the town that rebuilds itself into a riverbed township every winter for Magh Mela.

The planning numbers that matter: Magh Mela 2027 runs 14 January–6 March (reported, 52 days) with five major bathing days, the fort’s Akshayavat now has a dedicated access corridor, and Sangam bathing itself is free. Checked 01 October 2026.

The essentials

The Mela Authority’s formal 2027 notification is still awaited — join Yatra Alerts and we’ll ping the moment it lands.

What the city holds beyond the Sangam

The fort area stacks three sites — Bade Hanuman (the reclining-idol temple), Patalpuri (the underground temple inside Akbar’s fort), and Akshayavat, the indestructible fig tree of tradition. Civil Lines adds the colonial quarter: Khusro Bagh’s tombs, Anand Bhawan (the Nehru family museum, reported closed Mondays), and All Saints Cathedral. The temples guide and itinerary sequence them.

Stays and timing

Civil Lines carries the widest hotel inventory (budget ₹900-class to Welcomhotel/Radisson), with UPSTDC’s Rahi properties as the official option; during Magh Mela the UPSTDC tent colony operates at the site itself. Winter is the season — the mela runs the coldest months, with January lows near 10 °C (climatology).

The triangle

Prayagraj completes the Ayodhya–Kashi–Prayagraj circuit: ~1½–2½ hours by rail from Varanasi, a road hop from Ayodhya. The circuit plan and budget calculator price the whole triangle.

Frequently asked questions