This article is about Prayagraj district. For the city in the district by the same name, see Prayagraj. For other uses, see Prayagraj (disambiguation).
Prayagraj district, formerly known as Allahabad district,[2] is the most populous district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Prayagraj city is the district headquarters of this district. The District is divided into blocks within tehsils. As of 2011, there are 20 blocks in eight tehsils.[3][4][5] The Prayagraj division includes the districts of Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Kaushambi and Prayagraj, with some western parts that had previously part of Allahabad District becoming part of the new Kaushambi District.[6] The administrative divisions are Phulpur, Koraon, Meja, Sadar, Soraon, Handia, Bara, Shringverpur and Karchana.
The three rivers of India - Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical river of Sarasvati - meet at a point in the district, known as Triveni Sangam, considered holy by Hindus. Prayagraj is one of the largest educational hubs.
According to the 2011 Census of India the district has a population of 5,954,391.[7] This gives it a ranking of 13th in India (out of a total of 640).[7] As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Uttar Pradesh (out of 71).[7] The district has a population density of 1,087 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,820/sq mi).[7] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 20.74%.[7]
The district has a sex ratio of 902 females for every 1000 males,[7] and a literacy rate of 74.41%, highest in the region[8] and close to the all-India average of 74%. 24.75% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes made up 22.00% of the population.[7]
Hinduism is majority religion in the district with 85.69% followers. Islam is second most popular religion in district of Prayagraj with approximately 13.38% following it. Around 0.93% stated 'Other Religion', approximately 0.51% stated 'No Particular Religion'. Small numbers of Christians live in the district.[9]
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 94.91% of the population in the district spoke Hindi (or a variant of Hindi), 2.69% Urdu and 1.86% Awadhi as their first language.[10]