Panch Prayag - The confluence

Panch Prayag connotes the confluence of five sacred rivers in the Himalayas located in the state of Uttarakhand in India. These five prayags are considered holy and bathing at these points of confluences is considered as cleansing of soul. The last rites of the departed are also prevalent at these points.

As per Hinduism, the confluence of three rivers – Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati at Allahabad is considered the holiest. The Panch Prayag in Uttarakhand is next in order.

Enroute Badrinath, the Prayags are located at scenic locations with the snow covered peaks of Himalayas and enchanting valleys. It is believed that Panch Prayag is the road to heaven and is said that the Pandavas followed this route to attain salvation.

The story of River Ganga

One of the many bridges

In Hinduism, River Ganga is considered sacred and is thus personified as Goddess Ganga. The water of River Ganga is considered holy and it is believed that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and in attainment of Moksha.

When Goddess Ganga descended to Earth, the might of Ganga gushing down to earth would have been too immense for the land to bear. There would have been earthquakes, floods and the crops would have been ruined for years to come. So, Lord Shiva sat at the spot where Ganga will fall and bear the impact of her power on his head. Ganga cascaded down from the sky as a mighty waterfall on Shiva, wherein Lord Shiva imprisoned her in the locks of his hair.

When Ganga reached Earth, she was harmlessly split into various streams. After passing through five confluences the streams unites and form the sacred Ganga.

In the descending flow sequence the five points of confluence are:

• Vishnu Prayag
• Nand Prayag
• Karna Prayag
• Rudra Prayag
• Dev Prayag

Vishnu Prayag

Vishnuprayag is the confluence of River Alaknanda and Dhauli Ganga. Alaknanda originates from the Satopanth glacier whereas Dhauli Ganga originates from Niti Pass. After flowing for around 26 kms Dauli Ganga meets River Alaknanada at Vishnuprayag.

Places to see near Vishnu Prayag

Badrinath Temple is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations as per Hindu religion and forms one of the Char Dham sites. Badrinath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is perched at an altitude of 3133 metres above sea level. The temple is opened for six months in a year because of the extreme weather conditions in the Himalayas. The temple is located along the banks of Alaknanda River in the Chamoli district of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.

Auli is a hiking and skiing destination and is located 3050 above sea level. Auli is blessed with a paranomic view of the Himalayas and is surrounded by coniferous and oak trees. Auli slopes are intended for novice and professional skiers. It has a 4 kms cable car, chair car and ski lift and has two resorts by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited. Check out my blog of Auli here

Nandprayag

River Alaknanda is joined by Nandakini River at 1358 meters above sea level approx. River Nandakini originates from the glacier below Nanda Ghunti. This confluence is located 22 kms from Karnaprayag and around 194 kms from Rishikesh. The place is named after King Nanda who had performed yagna at this place and gave generous donations to people to seek blessings of God.

Places to see near Nandprayag

Tungnath is one of the highest Lord Shiva temples in the world. Tunganath is perched at an altitude of 3680m/12,073 ft above sea level and is located just below the peak of Chandrashila. Tunganath literally translates to “Lord of the Peaks”.  Tunganath can be accessed through roads till Chopta (2926m/9600 ft) and then an uphill trek of 5 kms. Check out my trek to Tunganath here.

Chopta is a small village very popular amongst the trekking enthusiast. Chopta forms as a base camp for trekking to Tunganath Temple and Chandrashila. Chopta is accessible through roads and is well connected to Dehradun and Rishikesh.

Karnaprayag

After flowing through Vishnuprayag and Nandprayag, River Alaknanda joins the River Pindar which originates from Pindar Glacier. It is believed that Karna did the penance at this location and this is the place where Lord Krishna cremated Karna.  

Places to see near Karnaprayag

Hemkund Sahib is a place of worship for Sikhs and is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth sikh guru. It is located in the Himalayas at an elevation of 4632m/15197 ft and is approached from Govindghat which is 275 kms from Rishikesh. 9 kms trek from Govindghat to a small village Ghangaria is reasonably well maintained. From Ghangaria 3600 ft climb on a 6 kms stone paved path leads to Hemkund Sahib. Overnight stay is not allowed.  

Valley of Flowers is another 3 kms trek from the village Ghangaria. The visitors to Valley of Flowers need to get a permit from the Forest Department at Ghangaria and the permit is valid for three days. Trekking to valley of flowers is allowed only during day time. The best time to visit is in july and early September when the valley is full of flowers.

Rudraprayag

The fourth confluence amongst Panch Prayag is situated at the convergence of two holy rivers – River Alaknanda and Mandakini in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. River Mandakini originates from Chorabari glacier near Kedarnath and flows around 50-60 kms before reaching Rudraprayag. The most popular story associated with his place is of Lord Shiva also known as Lord Rudra. It is said that Lord Shiva performed Tandav dance here and played his favourite musical instrument – Rudra Veena.

The main road fork at Rudraprayag – one runs parallel to River Alaknanda and will take you to Badrinath. The other road runs parallel to River Mandakini all the way till Gaurikund which is at the foothills of Kedarnath.

Places to see near Rudraprayag

Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located near the Mandakini River in the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand. Due to extreme climate the temple is open from April to November only. The temple is not directly accessed by road and has to be reached by a 16 kms uphill trek from Gaurikund. Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve jyotilingas, the holiest Hindu shrine for Lord Shiva.

Ukimath – During winters the deity from Kedarnath Temple is carried down to Ukimath and is worshipped for six months. Ukimath is situated 41 kms from Rudraprayag.  

Devprayag

Green water of Bhagirathi and Mudy water of Alaknanda

Devprayag is the last confluence where River Bhagirathi from Gangotri glacier meets the holy River Alaknanda and the sacred River Ganga comes to life. Devprayag is located at an elevation of 830m/2700 ft and the name translates to “Godly confluence”. The confluence is clearly visible here, with muddy coloured Alaknanada meets the bluish green Bhagirathi which flows at a high speed.

At Devprayag, you can clearly see the rushing green water of River Bhagirathi converging with the clam muddy water of River Alaknanda.

Places to see near Devprayag

Teen Dhara – As the name suggests three water streams are located in this area. This place has become one of the favourite resting places of the tourist along the pious River Ganga and is located with many budget friendly restaurants and dhabas.

Raghunath Temple is located at the confluence of Alaknanada and Bhagirathi River. It is considered as one of the oldest temple of Lord Rama and pilgrims come here to seek blessings of Lord Rama.

How to reach:

By Air: Jolly Grant, Dehradun is the closest airport. There are many car and bus options from here.

By Train: Closest railway station is Rishikesh and Dehradun. From the railway station, opt for bus or taxis.

By Road: Located on NH-58, this is the best way to reach the panch prayags. The drive is long but rewarding with beautiful views.