Panch Prayag is referred to five major confluences of the river Alaknanda to form the sacred river Ganga. In Hindi, Panch means five, and Prayag means confluence. The Panch Prayag traces the journey of river Alaknanda, which starts from the Himalayas from the Satopanth glacier. It merges with the river Dhauliganga near Joshimath at Vishnuprayag. Further ahead, the second confluence is at Nandaprayag, where the Alaknanda River is joined by the river Nandakini. The third confluence is at Karnaprayag, where Karna, son of Lord Sun, did penance to please him. Here river Pindar joins river Alaknanda. The fourth confluence in Panch Prayag is Rudraprayag, where the river Mandakini meets Alaknanda. The last and final confluence where the final union takes place is Devprayag, where river Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi river to form the holy Ganga.
Panch Prayag is one of the holy journeys devotees take to cleanse their souls from the sins of the past. These five confluences are considered sacred and most respected after the significant confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati at Sangam in Allahabad.
Panch Prayag Legend
According to mythology, when goddess Ganga was to descend on earth to cleanse the sins of humankind, her power was too much for the earth to take. Lord Shiva then took her into matted locks to split her energy and distribute it equally. He released the flow to earth in twelve channels. It is said these channels are re-joined after Devprayag. It is the last of Panch Prayag and the most significant of all.
Places in Panch Prayag
The Satopanth, Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Dhauliganga, Vishnuganga, Mandakini, Nandakini, and Pindar meets at five different points to finally form the holy river Ganga at Devprayag. The five points are-
Vishnuprayag
Vishnuprayag is the first Panch Prayag of Alaknanda River. It is a point where streams of Satopanth glacier and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers, River Alaknanda, meets the Dhauligana River, flowing down from Niti Valley. Before this point, Alaknanda is known as Vishnu Ganga. River Alaknanda flows in front of the holy temple of Lord Vishnu, Badrinath. The confluence happens at a height of 1,372 meters in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand near Joshimath. It is also believed that the place is where sage Narada meditated to worship Lord Vishnu. Apart from its religious significance, the site is famous among adventure seekers for its trekking trails.
Nandaprayag
Nandaprayag is the second place of Alaknanda confluence. Here, river Alaknanda meets river Nandakini at a height of 1,358 meters in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. According to beliefs, this place got its name from the King of Yadava, Nanda. His devotion to Lord Vishnu at this place blessed him with the boon of having a child-like Lord Vishnu, Krishna, as his foster father. There is a famous temple here at Nandaprayag, Gopalji Temple. Nandaprayag is 194 kilometers away from Rishikesh and 22km from Karnaprayag. It is also said to be a place where the wedding of King Dushyant and Shakuntala happened. Also, Nandaprayag is a getaway to Badri-kshetra, the area between Satopanth and Nandaprayag.
Karnaprayag
Located at a distance of 174 kilometers from Rishikesh, Karnaprayag is the third confluence where River Pindar originates from Pindar glacier and joins with River Alaknanda. The holy place is named after Karna, a warrior from Mahabharat. According to popular beliefs, it is a place where Karna meditated for Lord Surya, his father, and earned his Kavach and Kundal from him. It is also a place where Lord Krishna performed Karna’s last rites. Swami Vivekananda meditated at this beautiful and serene place for 18 days. According to Abhijanaa-Shakuntalam by Kalidas, the relationship between Shakuntala and Dushyant blossomed here.
Rudraprayag
Rudraprayag is a beautiful town located on the confluence of rivers Mandakini and Alaknanda. This small pilgrim town is one of the Panch Prayag and is named after Lord Shiva, also known as Rudra. The amalgamation of two rivers reflects the beauty of its own and appears like a sister’s union. According to beliefs, to master the music mysteries, Narad Muni worshiped Lord Shiva, who appeared in his Rudra Avatar to bless him. There is a black rock at Rudraprayag, where it is believed Narad Muni meditated. It is called Narad Shila. Earlier, Rudraprayag was a part of the Chamoli and Tehri districts. But, in 1997, Tehri, Pauri, and Kedarnath Valley cojoined to make Rudraprayag a district.
Devprayag
Devprayag is the last and most significant confluence in Panch Prayag. It is a location where River Alaknanda meets Bhagirathi after coming down from Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag, and Rudraprayag to form a sacred River Ganga. Devprayag is a place where River Ganga comes to life. It is located in the Tehri Garhwal district, about 73 kilometers from Rishikesh. Devotees take a bath and pray here and with other Panch Prayag before continuing their journey to Chota Chardham. The entire town was destroyed in the earthquake in the year 1803 and was restored soon. This heritage place holds an ancient charm.
How to visit Panch Prayag
Rishikesh is the closest city to Panch Prayag.
By car-
Panch Prayag can easily be visited by own car. You can reach the nearest city Rishikesh via Haridwar, which is at a distance of 20km only and well-connected with Delhi, Lucknow, and other major cities. The only way to visit Panch Prayag from Rishikesh is via road. The distance between the five Prayags and Rishikesh is as follows-
- Devprayag: 69kilometers
- Rudraprayag: 140kilometers
- Karnaprayag: 170 kilometers
- Nandaprayag: 190kilometers
- Vishnuprayag: 260kilometers
By Bus-
The bus station is available in all five Prayag. One can board a bus from the nearest city, Rishikesh or Haridwar. Bus packages and tours are available from Haridwar and Rishikesh for Panch Prayag. These packages cover all five Prayags and seem the best option for someone who doesn’t like to drive.
By Train-
The nearest railway station to Panch Prayag is in Rishikesh, which is connected to Haridwar and many major cities in North India. One can board a train to Haridwar from major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, etc., and then take a 1-hour trip to reach Rishikesh.
By Air-
The nearest airport is about 35 kilometers from Rishikesh, located in Dehradun. It is well-connected with major cities in India.
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