Village scene near Allahabad - October 1789

Wash drawing of a village scene near Allahabad by Thomas (1749-1840) and William (1769-1837) Daniell in around December 1788 or October 1789. Inscribed on the back in ink is: 'Near Allahabad.'

Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh is one of the religious centres of Hindu India, standing at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers; hence it is also known as Prayag (confluence). Every year the festival of Magh Mela is held here for 15 days during January and February, whilst every twelve years the festival of Kumbh Mela occurs, most recently attracting twelve million pilgrims to the site. The city was held successfully during the Uprising of 1857 and was the scene of the famous Durbar in 1858 when Lord Canning read Queen Victoria’s proclamation announcing the transfer of the government of India from the East India Company to the Crown. In 1885 the first Indian National Conference was held here.

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