Allahabad - Culture

Culture

Anand Bhavan owned by Indian political leader Motilal Nehru in the 19th century

Allahabad is known for its literary, artistic and revolted heritage; as the former capital of United Provinces it was the birthplace of holy scriptures- the Vedas and the grand epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and in the Puranas-as Prayag. Allahabad has been called the "literary capital of Uttar Pradesh". Allahabad's antiquity attracted curious itinerants from even the ear east. Huen Tsang and Fa Hien, the Chinese travelers, who visited it in the fifth and the seventh centuries respectively, found it a flourishing city. Over the centuries that followed, Allahabad remained on the forefront of national importance-more so during the days of the Indian independence struggle. The city has a tradition of political graffiti depicting everything from outrageous slander to witty banter and limericks, caricatures, and propaganda. Allahabad has many buildings adorned with Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architectural motifs. Several well-maintained major buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage structures"; however, others are in various stages of decay. Established in the 1930s to serve as the residence of the Nehru family, the Swaraj Bhavan was transformed into the local headquarters of the Indian National Congress, that showcase memorabilia of the Gandhi-Nehru family.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Hindi literature was modernised through the works of authors such as Mahadevi Varma, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala', Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Another noteworthy poet was Raghupati Sahay who was more famous by the name of Firaq Gorakhpuri. Firaq Gorakhpuri and Mahadevi Varma were awarded the Jnanpith Award. Allahabad has also been the biggest centres of publication of Hindi literature for instance Lok Bharti, Rajkamal and Neelabh. Persian and Urdu literature also has a significant respect in city. Akbar Allahabadi is well known Poet of the modern Urdu Literature. Apart from him poets like Nooh Narwi, Tegh Allahabadi, Raaz Allahabadi, Asghar Gondvi, Ibn e Safi,Adil Rasheed, Azam Kuraivi, Dr.Aijaz Husain, Dr.Aqeel Rizwi, Hakeem Asrar Kuraivi also hail from the city. English author and Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling (1907) played significant role for The Pioneer as an assistant editor and overseas correspondent.

Though Hindu women traditionally wear the sari, the shalwar kameez and Western attire is gaining acceptance among younger women. Western-style dress has greater acceptance among men, although the traditional dhoti and kurta are seen during festivals. Diwali (celebrated between mid-October and mid-December) and Rama Navami are the two most popular festivals in Uttar Pradesh. Sherwani is a more formal male dress and is frequently worn along with chooridar on festive occasions.