Prayag is the Hindi word for confluence of rivers. Devprayag is the place where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet to form Ganga, the holiest of all. From here, Ganga traverses a journey of 73 kms through the mountains and finally enters the flat lands at Rishikesh. It then takes a long and arduous journey of several thousand kilometres, through the Indo-Gangetic plains before draining its waters into the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar.

We revere the river Ganga in a human form , as a Goddess, whose purity cleanses the sins of the faithful and aids the dead on their journey towards heaven.

Devprayag, therefore becomes a prominent place in the Hindu culture. For generations, this land has been blessed by saints from all over the country. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have visited this holy land in the 7^th/8^th century. The priests of Badrinath temple (known as Pandas or the Bhatt Brahmins) are the predominant natives of the town.

Confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers at Devprayag

The confluence point is truly heavenly and pristine. The 2 rivers are starkly different in colour. This holy point and the scenery around spell their magic through iridescent hues. At the sunset time – one can witness the ‘Ganga Aarti’ at the ghat. While the ritual is not as elaborate or grand as it happens in Rishikesh or at Haridwar, the significance is huge as this is the point where ‘Ganga’ forms.

Note – If you are on the Badrinath – Rishikesh highway, the confluence point is clearly visible from the main highway itself. You just have to find the right spot to get that perfect photo captured on your camera 😊

What else to visit in Devprayag?

It is a small town as well as a nagar panchayat (municipality) situated on the main Rishikesh – Badrinath highway. The town is situated in the Tehri district of Uttarakhand.

• Bhagirathi Bridge – a suspension bridge over the Bhagirathi River. One uses the bridge to enter the main market area of the town or to travel to the confluence point / Raghunath temple

• Alaknanda Bridge – another suspension bridge over the Alaknanda River. The bridge connects the main town area to the other side of the mountain across the Alaknanda river. I recommend taking a stroll to this side as you will find multiple stretches of white sand beaches dotting the edge of the river. Breath-taking indeed!!

• Raghunath Temple – A temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is situated at the centre of the Devprayag town. Lord Ram (who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) is revered here in the temple. It is believed that Lord Ram (after killing Ravana) did penance at this place to repent for the killing of Ravana (a Brahmin). It is believed that the temple was established by Adi Shankaracharya around 8^th century and later on, the rulers of Garhwal kingdom contributed towards the expansion and renovation works.

Other prominent places near Devprayag are – Tehri (78 Kms), Rishikesh (73 kms), Srinagar (36 kms) and Rudraprayag ( 66 kms).

Devprayag is the last of the 5 (panch) prayags or confluence points in Garhwal that are linked with the Holy Ganga river. From here, Ganga river navigates a distance of roughly 2500 kms through the states of Uttarakhand , Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , Jharkhand and West Bengal.