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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{More references|date=February 2007}}

'''Pratisthan Pur''' or '''Pratisthan Puram''' was capital of the [[Lunar Dynasty]] ([[Chandra Vanshi]] or [[Somavanshi]]), at present [[Jhusi]], [[Allahabad]]. This archeological site has yielded a [[carbon 14]] dating of 7100 BC for its [[Neolithic]] levels. Today it lies on the eastern side of [[Allahabad]], across the river [[Ganges river|Ganges]] and connected to the city by the Shastri Bridge, and is considered an important part of the [[history of Allahabad]] or [[Allahabad|Prayag]], city's former name.

==History==

Pratishthana was the most important locality of [[Allahabad|Prayag]] and it was founded by King [[Ila (Hinduism)|Ila]] and was the capital of [[Pururavas]] and other kings of [[Lunar Dynasty]]. Once belonging to the rulers of [[Maurya]], [[Shunga Empire|Shunga]], [[Kushana]] and [[Gupta]] period, the ancient [[Pratisthana]] has lost its identity to the modernity of [[Jhunsi]].{{cn|date=April 2018}}

The only evidence related to this historical fact is still visible in the shape of high mounds in [[Jhunsi]]. Surprisingly, these high mounds have further added to the significance of the city as the articles excavated from here belong to the 6th century BC and antiquities belonging to five cultural phases ranging from [[chalcolithic]] to [[Early medieval|early medieval period]] have been found here.

As per the historians and the pre NBP ware deposit the site of [[Kumbh Mela]] is marked at this place as the earliest culture represented at the site. Early layer of this deposit has yielded iron objects. Some pottery items and antiquities are similar to those found at different [[chalcolithic]] sites in [[Uttar Pradesh|UP]], [[Bihar]] and [[Vindhyas|Northern Vindhyas]].

===Destruction===
It is also said that the town was destroyed in an earthquake in CE 1359 as a result of the invocations of saint Ali Mur-taza.
The historian Dr. D. P. Dubey These traditions and the etymological meaning of the name [[Jhunsi]] possibly indicate to the destruction and burning of the site by the Muslim invaders in the 13th century CE. The traditions relating to the scattering of [[Brahmana]] and [[Kshatriya]] clans abandoning their homes in [[Jhunsi]] and emigrating to distant places during the medieval period lend colour to this theory.<ref>{{cite book|title=Prayāga, the Site of Kumbha Melā: In Temporal and Traditional Space|author=D. B. Dubey|publisher=Aryan Books International|year=2001|page=408}}</ref>

There is also the historical and sacred [[Samudrakoop]] here which has its own story. "It is known as Samudrakoop since it belongs to the period of [[Samudragupta]]. In fact five such wells are found in [[Ujjain]], [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]], [[Allahabad|Prayag]] ([[Allahabad]]), [[Varanasi]] and Patalpur ([[Pataliputra]] or [[Patna]]). It was dumped with garbage once but the efforts of a sage Dayaram brought its historical importance to limelight."

==Archaeology==
From the pre-[[Northern Black Polished Ware]] ([[Northern Black Polished Ware|NBP]] Ware) period (ca. 700 BC–200 BC) to the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] period there had been continuous settlement at the site. However, there appears to be a cultural gap between the end of Gupta period and the beginning of early medieval period. "There is every likelihood that the site may show up no gap at all when excavated extensively. This possibility is based on the strategic location of the site itself which, by virtue of the same reason, would have never been abandoned after having been once occupied. The excavations in the area only hint at the above fact."

The ruins of ancient Pratishthana which are represented by the high mounds of [[Jhunsi]] on the eastern bank of the [[Ganges]] are spread over an area of about four square miles. Research on lost heritage of [[Allahabad]] under [[Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage]] ([[INTACH]]) suggests that the site is slowly losing its identity on account of continuous erosion of the [[Ganges river]]. "The high mound, which belong to [[Kushana]] period, has few bricks exposed right now".

==In literature==
[[Kalidasa]] too mentions about Pratishthana in his [[Sanskrit drama]] [[Vikramōrvaśīyam]]. He has given an imaginary account of this palace of [[Pururavas]] which was magnificent. Various myths are also associated with this site. An inscription of [[Trilochanapala]], the Pratihara king, was discovered from the site in 1830.

In his book, VN Pandey mentions that the naming of [[Jhunsi]] too has a legend associated with it. It was once ruled by [[Har-bonga]], an imbecile and foolish king in whose reign chaos prevailed everywhere. When the cup of his inequity was full there was an upheaval on the earth and the capital Pratishthana was turned upside down hence now known as '[[Ulta Quila]]'.

There was conflagration which completed the destruction of the city and the ruins went by the name of [[Jhunsi]], a burnt town from the Hindi root 'jhulasna'.

Ramdhari Singh Dinakar wrote "Urvashi", a poem which narrated the story of love between Urvashi, a celestial nymph, and Pururava, the king of Pratisthan Pur.{{cn|date=April 2018}}

== Ulta Kila ==

It is said that once the saint Ali Mur-taza (maqdoom sahab) was invited on the lunch by the king haribong who lived on this kila. King Haribong gave him the wrong things to eat. This made Saint Ali-Murtaza angry and he ordered the planet Mars (named ''Mirrikh'' in Arabic) to fall on that kila, and as the order the star fell on the kila and the whole kila burnt out and this gave it the name, ulta kila and also this was the origin of the name jhuns{{which lang|date=July 2021}} (which means burnt).
Kamayani is written by Jai Shankar Prasad based on battle between Pururava and Ila and later they had fierce love, in the backdrop of Pratishthanpur.
Andher Nagari chaupat Raja, Take ser bhaji, Take ser khaja, a play by Bhartendu Harishchandra.

==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
* [[Places of interest in Allahabad]]

==References==
<references />

{{coord missing|Uttar Pradesh}}

[[Category:Allahabad district]]
[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Former populated places in India]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Uttar Pradesh]]

Pratisthan Pur (Jhunsi) - Revision history

imported>Ira Leviton: Fixed typos found with Wikipedia:Typo_Team/moss.