Akshayavat and Patalpuri Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Prayagraj Airport is about 12 km from the city centre, in Bamrauli.

• By train

  Prayagraj Junction is one of the main railway junctions in northern India, and the headquarters of the North Central Railway Zone.

Why devotees come here

The Akshayavat and Patalpuri Temple in Prayagraj houses a sacred banyan tree described in ancient texts. Devotees worship the sacred fig tree inside the temple as the Akshayavata. Prayagraj lies in southern Uttar Pradesh, where the Ganga and Yamuna meet, and the invisible Saraswati is also said to join them.

The Akshayavata is a sacred banyan tree in Hindu mythology and in Jainism. The Padma Purana states that those who venerate it with devotion are freed from sins. The Matsya Purana's Prayag Mahatmya describes a tree in Prayagraj as the Akshayavata. Legend says that during a pralaya, when Narayana flooded the entire world for a moment, only the Akshayavata could be seen above the water. Rama, Lakshmana and Sita are also said to have rested beneath this tree.

Today a sacred fig tree inside the Patalpuri Temple is worshipped as the Akshayavata that ancient texts describe. The temple stands at the Allahabad Fort. According to one account, the emperor Jahangir cut the tree to its roots and hammered a red-hot iron cauldron onto the stump, so that it would not grow again.

Tips for your visit

• The tree is inside the Patalpuri Temple, so search for that name or for Akshayavat when you plan the visit.
• The Allahabad Fort is the landmark here, and the temple is within its grounds.

Questions people ask