Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad
December 12 - 21, 2002
Travel to Allahabad
IMPORTANT: Unfortunately it is a little inconvenient to change money in Allahabad. There is only one bank which does it, and there are a couple of ATMs. However, those are all in the city. We therefore advise that you change money before coming to Allahabad. (Note that you will not need to pay for accommodation or food while at HRI.)
Allahabad is located in the north Indian plains. This is where two
major rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet. The HRI campus is
located on the banks of Ganga a little after the confluence,
called Sangam.
The weather in Allahabad, like much of north India, during December
is likely to be pleasantly chilly. At nights the minimum temperature
may drop down to about 5 degree Celsius (41 degree Fahrenheit).
Do pack a few light woolens.
To Allahabad/Varanasi
Allahabad is well connected by rail to Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta)
and Mumbai (Bombay). Unfortunately there are no flights to Allahabad. The
nearest airport is Varanasi, approximately 120 kms away. There are flights
operated by Air Sahara,
Indian Airlines and
Jet Airways
to Varanasi from Delhi and Mumbai.
However, if you plan to reach Delhi, you may prefer to take a train.
There are many trains between Delhi and Allahabad. Be warned that not all
these start from New Delhi Station. You can check the website of
Indian railways and follow
the link to Train Fare/Accommodation.
A particularly convenient choice is the 2418 Prayagraj Express.
It leaves New
Delhi Station at 9:30 PM and reaches Allahabad at 6:50 AM the next
morning. There are comfortable air-conditioned sleeping coaches.
Following are some of the early morning trains from New Delhi station:
2816 Puri Exp d New Delhi 06:30 a Allahabad 15:30
In addition, the 2302/2306 Rajdhani Express to Kolkata (Howrah)
leaves New Delhi at 5 PM and reaches Allahabad at midnight.
If you are coming from abroad, your travel agent might be able to make
advance train reservations. Otherwise, bookings can be made at the
Railway station's reservation counters.
You should be warned that there may be hangers on who will tell you that
no seat/berth is available, but they can arrange one for you for some
extra money. Dont trust any of these guys, and go straight to the counter.
(Do be careful and take care of your money, papers and luggage. Delhi,
we're afraid, is not a friendly city.) There is also a train reservation
desk right at the airport arrival lounge.
Reservations for indian trains are usually to be booked well in advance.
However, there is a certain quota for foreigners paying in Euro, Sterling
pound or US$. If you do not have an advanced reservation, you should be
able to get reservation against this quota. There are a variety of
classes. You may want to try air conditioned two or three tier coaches
(called Second and Third AC respectively). The round-trip fare between
Delhi and Allahabad will roughly be Rs. 2250 and Rs. 1500 respectively
for AC two and three tiers. (US$ 1 = Rs 50 approximately.)
If you have to wait a long time for your train, and do not prefer to
spend time sightseeing, there is a lounge at the airport where you
can rest. To reach the lounge, take the elevator to the departure area
once you come out of the arrival area. The visitor's lounge is just
across the road from the departure area.
This may be a better option
than the waiting area at the New Delhi Railway station.
For those who are flying into Mumbai, there is also an option to take
the train. The journey, although it takes approximately 24 hours, can
be quite a unique experience.
Onto the HRI Campus
The HRI campus is in the village of Chhatnag, Jhusi on the outskirts of
Allahabad City.
If you have sent us your travel details, we shall arrange for transport
to bring you to the campus from Varanasi airport or Allahabad railway
station. At the Varanasi airport, once you come out of the terminal
building, look for a car bearing the "HRI" sign in the adjacent car
park. The story at the station gets complicated by the fact that there
are two exits! One is to the City side, the exit is from Platform
number one and the other is to the Civil Lines side for which you
will need to take the overbridge. In order to avoid confusion, the HRI
vehicle will be parked in the car park adjacent to the City side
exit. If for some reason, we make a different arrangement, a
volunteer will meet you at the platform.
In case you do not know which train you will be taking, please try to
give us a call from Delhi after you have made your reservation. If you
are not able to do this, please call us from the Allahabad station.
Here are some useful numbers:
5622 North-East Exp d New Delhi 06:45 a Allahabad 15:50
HRI Reception: | 0532 2667509 |
0532 2667318 | |
0532 2667578 | |
Debashis Ghoshal: | 0532 2668317 |
Rajesh Gopakumar: | 0532 2567732 |
Dileep Jatkar: | 0532 2567128 |
Satchidananda Naik: | 0532 2441275 |
Sudhakar Panda: | 0532 2667609 |
Ashoke Sen: | 0532 2667121 |
Just in case you do not find the HRI car, it is possible to get three-wheelers (locally known as auto-rickshaws) from the station. Ask to be taken to Chhatnag in Jhusi. The ride to the HRI campus should cost approximately Rs. 150. However, you may have to do some hard bargaining!
See also "Getting there" on the HRI homepage for some useful links.