Prayag is a Sanskrit word which means “confluence”. Devprayag literally translates to “confluence of Gods”. This small town in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand is the place of origin of River Ganga. Bhagirathi, one of the major water sources of river Ganga rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier at Gomukh. But it is in Devprayag that it meets Alaknanda and forms the Holy Ganga.
People visit Devprayag mainly to see the confluence. Alaknanda flows on the left in shades of blue and while Bhagirathi on the right is in the shades of green. The two meets to form the delightful Ganga in shade of emerald. Nature giving us a beautiful lesson about colours!
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama visited Devprayag to meditate after the war of Ramayana. The Pandavas are also believed to have meditated here before the war of Mahabharata. And even the famous Kumbh Mela was supposed to be held here but was later shifted to Haridwar as the town wasn’t ready for the huge crowd that the Mela entails.
The town therefore is a very important religious hub is dotted with several big and small temples. Raghunathji Temple is the most famous temple here. It is considered as one of the oldest temple of Lord Rama which was established in the 10th century.
The suspension bridge is another major attraction here as you are able to get the complete view of Devprayag and the confluence while standing here. The mountains in the background give a magical effect and it’s hard to leave the place.
How to Reach Devprayag
Dehradun is the nearest airport (89 km) and Rishikesh is the nearest railway station (74 km). You can hire a cab to reach Devprayag.
For budget travelers, there are regular buses and shared taxis from Dehradun/Haridwar/Rishikesh which take around 3-4 hours to reach Devprayag.
