Question

At which of the following towns the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi combines to form River Ganga?
1. Haridwar
2. Rishikesh
3. Rudraprayag
4. Devprayag
5. None of the above/More than above

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Devprayag

The correct answer is Devprayag.

• Devprayag:
  • Devprayag (Deva prayāga) is a town and a nagar panchayat (municipality) in Tehri Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand, India, and is the final one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River where Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi river and both rivers thereafter flow on as the Ganges river or Ganga.
  • "Devprayag" means "Godly Confluence" in Sanskrit.
  • As per Hindu scriptures, Devprayag is the sacred event of merging two visible heavenly rivers, Alakananda and Bhagirathi, to form the holy Ganga.
  • Its believed that a third river, the mythical Saraswati river is underground and meets these two rivers at the confluence.
  • On a terrace in the upper part of the village is the temple of Raghunathji, built of huge stones, pyramidal in form, and capped by a white cupola.

• Rudraprayag:
  • Rudra Prayag is a peaceful town positioned in Uttarakhand.
  • Rudraprayag town marks one of the five confluences of the Alaknanda river before it goes on to join the Ganges.
  • Rudraprayag marks the tip of the confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini.
  • It is the penultimate halt for the Panch Prayag pilgrimage which includes halts at 5 destinations marking the five confluences of the Alaknanda river.
  • Kedarnath is the nearest known human settlement, 76 km away and the surrounding area is infested with thick forests and diverse wildlife habitat.
  • There are mountains all around.
  • It is quite a popular tourist destination with all the recent spotlight for its interesting sights that it holds among its rich treasures.
• Karnaprayag:
  • On the confluence of river Alaknanda and the Pindari River, Karnaprayag is one of the Panch Prayag or the 'five confluences' of river Alaknanda.
  • This holy town is situated at an average elevation of 1,451 meters above sea level. 
  • The toy town of Karnaprayag is also known as ‘The City of Karna of Mahabharata’.
  • It is famous for connecting the Garhwal region with the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand via NH 109.
  • While on a visit to the Himalayas, Swami Vivekananda also meditated here with his gurus.
• Vishnuprayag:
  • On the holy confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers, Vishnuprayag is a bijou city tucked at 1,372 metres above sea level in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. 
  • The riveting Vishnuprayag is the first one among the Panch Prayag, the other four being Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag according to descending order of river.
  • It is here that the mighty river Alaknanda is also known as 'Vishnu Ganga' blends with the river Dhauliganga that flows from the Niti Valley.
  • There is also a suspension bridge that helps the visitors to cross the surging Alaknanda River.
• Nandaprayag:
  • Nandprayag is a small town located at the sacred confluence of the Alaknanda and Nandakini River.
  • The source of the Alaknanda River is Satopanth near Badrinath Dham and Nandakini River emerges from the foot of the Nanda Devi Peak.
  • It is believed that a holy dip in the confluence of Nandprayag is capable of washing all the sins.