Prayagraj · Holy places
Akshayavat and Patalpuri Temple, Prayagraj
The Akshayavat is a banyan held sacred as the 'immortal' tree, in the underground Patalpuri temple inside the fort at Prayagraj, on the Yamuna beside the Sangam. According to tradition it can never be destroyed, and Rama, Lakshmana and Sita rested near it during their exile.
The fort is used by the army, so entry depends on its rules, and those rules have changed. The army opened the shrine to visitors during the 2013 Maha Kumbh, and in December 2018 the Prime Minister announced that pilgrims at the 2019 Kumbh would be able to visit the tree.
Akshayavat at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where | Inside the fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1583 on the bank of the Yamuna, beside the Sangam (district, UP Tourism) |
| What | A banyan tree, the Akshayavat or ‘immortal banyan’, in the underground Patalpuri temple |
| Who controls entry | The fort is used by the army, and only a limited area is open to visitors (district, UP Tourism) |
| Also in the open area | The Ashokan Pillar, the Saraswati Koop, a well said to be the source of the Saraswati, and Jodhabai Palace |
| Timings | No official timings published. Check locally. |
| Busiest times | Main bathing days at the Sangam, which usually draw the most pilgrims |
| Magh Mela 2027 | Expected from 15 January to 6 March 2027, with six main bathing days. Not a Kumbh year. |
| 2027 arrangements | Not announced |
The tradition of the immortal banyan
According to tradition, the Akshayavat is an eternal tree that will never be destroyed, and pilgrims believe that prayer at it brings moksha, the district says. It is also said that Rama spent a night near the tree on his way to the forest. The district adds that the place is holy for Jains too.
The mela authority writes that Rama, Lakshmana and Sita are said to have rested here during their exile from Ayodhya, and that the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang and the archaeologist Alexander Cunningham wrote about the tree. The Ministry of Culture calls it a sacred tree mentioned in Hindu texts.
PTI noted in January 2019 that, according to folklore, the tree has the power to fulfil wishes. For the history of Prayag and its Kumbh, read our Prayagraj Kumbh guide.
Patalpuri, the underground temple
Patalpuri is an underground temple inside the fort, close to the tree, the mela authority says. The district and UP Tourism write that the Akshaya Vat lies within this temple, and that Hiuen Tsang saw the temple when he came to Prayag.
The district gives some recent history. Marble was laid around the tree in 1992, and in 1999 a small temple with images of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita was built near it. About 22 metres of cloth are wrapped around the tree near its roots, and its branches reach out over the Yamuna. The fort wall is about 15 feet from the tree.
The fort also holds the Saraswati Koop, a well said to be the source of the Saraswati. The mela authority says it was refurbished for the 2025 Maha Kumbh.
How entry to the Akshayavat has changed
The fort is army land: PTI reported in 2013 that an ordnance depot in it came under the Indian Army after Independence. Entry for pilgrims has changed around the big melas. This is what the sources say, in date order.
- The district’s page (undated). The Prayagraj district’s entry on the Akshay Vat says permission has to be sought from army officials to visit the tree. Its fort entry says only a limited area of the fort is open to visitors.
- 16 January 2013, during the Maha Kumbh. PTI reported that the army had opened the Patalpuri temple, the Akshayvat and the Saraswati Koop, which lie on defence land, to the public. The officer commanding the area said visitors would no longer need special permission from higher authorities, that the arrangement would stay after the Kumbh, and that areas marked out of bounds would stay closed.
- 16 December 2018. The Prime Minister visited the Akshay Vat and announced that pilgrims at the coming Ardh Kumbh would also be able to visit it, according to the Press Information Bureau.
- 15 January 2019, the first bathing day of the 2019 Kumbh. Uttar Pradesh’s religious affairs minister told PTI that the Akshay Vat and the Saraswati Koop had been opened to the public for the first time in centuries. That claim does not match the army’s statement of 2013, so we give both.
- 13 December 2024, before the Maha Kumbh. The Prime Minister visited the Akshaya Vat and said an Akshaya Vat corridor was being built for devotees, and that Patalpuri and the Saraswati Koop were being renovated (PIB). A Ministry of Culture note of 29 December 2024 listed new Akshayavat, Saraswati Koop and Patalpuri corridors among the works for the mela.
We found no official notice of the current entry rules or timings, or that the corridor works are finished. Before you go, check at the fort gate or with the district administration.
Getting there from the Sangam
The Sangam lies below the eastern walls of the fort, about 7 km from Civil Lines, the district says, so the Akshayavat is one of the nearest shrines to the bathing area. The Bade Hanuman temple is also close by.
Boats to the Sangam can be hired at the ghat near the fort. For the 2025 Maha Kumbh the mela authority listed Quila Ghat, the fort ghat, among its boat points; no boat routes have been published for 2027.
During a mela, vehicles are stopped well before the river around the main bathing days and the last stretch is on foot. In 2025 those rules ran from the day before to the day after each main bathing day. The plan for 2027 has not been published. See how to reach Prayagraj and our Sangam guide.
The Akshayavat and the Magh Mela 2027
The next big mela at the Sangam is the Magh Mela 2027, expected from Friday 15 January to Saturday 6 March 2027. Its six expected main bathing days are Makar Sankranti (15 January), Paush Purnima (22 January), Mauni Amavasya (6 February), Basant Panchami (11 February), Maghi Purnima (20 February) and Mahashivratri (6 March). The mela authority has not yet confirmed them.
Entry arrangements at the Akshayavat and Patalpuri for the mela, and any timings, have not been announced. Main bathing days usually draw the most pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.
2027 is not a Kumbh year at Prayagraj. The next Ardh Kumbh is expected in 2031. See all holy places of Prayagraj.
Where it is
- 1Triveni SangamGhat
- 2Akshayavat TempleTemple · This page
- 3Bade Hanuman TempleTemple
- 4Allahabad FortPlace
- 5Mankameshwar TempleTemple
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
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Questions people ask
Can anyone visit the Akshayavat?
The tree is inside the fort, which the army uses. The army opened the shrine to visitors in January 2013, and in December 2018 the Prime Minister announced that pilgrims at the 2019 Kumbh could visit it. The district’s page still says army permission is needed, so check the current rules locally.
Where is the Akshayavat in Prayagraj?
In the underground Patalpuri temple inside the fort built by Akbar, on the bank of the Yamuna beside the Sangam.
What are the Akshayavat timings?
We found no official timings. Check at the fort or with the district administration before you go.
Why is the Akshayavat called immortal?
According to tradition it is an eternal tree that will never be destroyed. The mela authority translates the name as ‘the indestructible banyan tree’.