When you approach the Sangam from land, what welcomes you is a massive fort built by the great emperor Akbar.
This fort sits on the banks of the river Yamuna. Akbar named the fort Illahabas (“blessed by God”), which later became “Allahabad”. Did it surprise you that the Great city of Allahabad was named after this fort? You won’t be much surprised when you see the size of this massive fort but sadly only a little portion of it is open to the public. The fort is now an army cantonment.
According to a local legend, Akbar was a Hindu ascetic in his previous birth. Once, by mistake, he consumed a cow’s hair while drinking milk. Horrified at this sin (cow being a holy animal), he committed suicide. He was born a non-Hindu as a result of this sin and was driven to build a fort at the holy Sangam.
The local Prayagwal Brahmins claim that Akbar repeatedly failed to construct the fort because its foundation would sink in the sand each time. The emperor was told that a human sacrifice was required to proceed. A local Brahmin voluntarily sacrificed himself, and in return, Akbar granted his descendants; the Prayagwals the exclusive rights of servicing the pilgrims at the Sangam.