Dev Bhumi Uttarakhand is blessed with five rivers on which entire nation depends. These five rivers have joined at different sites, and humanity has consciously recognised their importance in sustenance of life. The rivers, though considered holy, are geologically highly significant because these have generated huge eco-systems India boasts of as well as developed the sources of life-stream by their very unique development in the Himalayas.
The rivers are
● Bhagirathi meeting Alakananda at Devprayag
● Alakananda joining Mandakini at Rudraprayag
● Alakananda meeting Pinder Ganga at Karnprayag
● Alakananda flowing tinto Mandakini at Nandaprayag
● Alakananda converging with Dharal Ganga at Vishnuprayag
All these sites have refreshingly charming biosphere. The Nature’s bounty has mixed up with humane consciousness and aspiration. Even as Devprayag is well-connected and has a developed atmosphere for the pilgrims’ feats, iother sites also can be connected by motorable vehicles. As is aht generale climatic ordain in th Himalays, not a single site is accessible comfortably during winter months. The bset timing for visit and worship is from May to June and September to October. During the rest of the year, all these high altitude wonders remain mystoc to humans. Hence they all have been deified. Each river has a temple to its name; besides, all are worshipped as goddesses.
These confluences collectivelky are called pancha Prayag. Sanskrit word ‘Pancha’ means ‘five’, and ‘Prayag’ means ‘confluence’. All regions in India have some kind of affinity to these rivers.
DEVAPRAYAGA (About 70 kms) can be approached from Rishikesh. It is at a height of 1,700 feet aboive the sea-level. This confluence site has a klandmass which divides the routes for Yamunotri and Gangotri and Kedarnath and Badrinath. Devprayag is remembered for meditation and sin-cleansing Yagna by Rama and Sita, to expiate themselves from the sin of killing a Brahman, Ravana. Devprayag is also called Prayagraj, as it is the largest confluence of mythological rivers at Allahabad at Triveni where even Saraswati met the Ganga and Yamuna.
RUDRAPRAYAG is at a height of Rudranath Temple, where Alakananda meets Mandakini. At a dizzy height in the mystique Himalayas, the Rudraprayag coinfluence is not easily accessible, though the Garhwal mandal Vikas Nigam has constructed roads for comfortable reach.
KARNAPRAYAG has a scenic site where rivers Alakananda meetws the Pinder Ganga which is Also called Pindershri. Two major temples are here dedicated to Goddess Uma, daughter of Mount Kailash and Mahabharata character Karna. There hangs a tale, that Karna was denied access to swarga (heaven), as he was trying to entre without having propitiating his ancestors. Evetually he was given additional time by the God of Death Yama, for accomplishing the duty before his death was ordained, which even Karna did not know. Karna was allowed to come at Karanprayag to, perform last rites to his ancestors.
NANDAPRAYAGA is the site where meet Alakananda and Mandakini again. The attraction of the site is the temple of young Krishna, in form of Nanda Gopal.
VISHNUPRAYAG is a prayag of the Alakananda and Dhauli Ganga. The ganga here is snow-white because of very geolog ical reasons, and is also named as Dhaval Ganga. The site is dedicated to Bhagwan Vishnu. There is also a spring called Vishnu Pond.
