Devprayag (Panch Prayag)
Devprayag, Uttarakhand · River confluence tirtha (Alaknanda–Bhagirathi) · River Ghat
Sacred sangam where Alaknanda and Bhagirathi meet to form the Ganga, first of the Panch Prayag.
Devprayag’s ghats and Raghunath temple mark the first Panch Prayag on Char Dham routes, where Uttarakhand Tourism and BKTC describe the visible confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi forming the Ganga.
History
Pilgrims traditionally bathe at the sangam before ascending to the upper Char Dham shrines.
The town name invokes sage Dev Sharma linked to the prayag in regional tradition.
Stories
Where two rivers take the name Ganga
At Devprayag the Alaknanda, which rises from the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers, meets the Bhagirathi, which begins at Gaumukh below the Gangotri glacier. Beyond this meeting the combined river is called the Ganga, or Ganges. The sediment-laden Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi flow side by side before blending.
Devprayag, whose name means 'godly confluence', is the last of the five Prayags on the Alaknanda, though pilgrims travelling up from Rishikesh meet it first. The town lies about 70 km from Rishikesh at an elevation of roughly 830 metres.
The Raghunathji temple and the Badrinath pandas
On a terrace in the upper part of the town stands the temple of Raghunathji, built of huge stones in a pyramidal form and capped by a white cupola. Four major temples are described around the confluence.
The town is also the seat of the pandas of Badrinath Dham. It lies on the highway to Badrinath, so buses and vehicles carrying pilgrims in the summer season pass through it on the way to Joshimath and further north.
Good to know
Confluence viewpoint and ghats
Raghunath temple precinct
Char Dham highway stop
Getting there
On NH7 between Rishikesh and Srinagar Garhwal; ~70 km from Rishikesh.
Best time to visit: Mar – Jun, Sep – Nov