Pancha Prayag
A prayag is a sacred confluence.
Five lie on the Alaknanda on the way to Badrinath, and pilgrims bathe at each going up: Vishnuprayag, where the Dhauliganga joins; Nandprayag, the Nandakini; Karnaprayag, the Pindar, where Karna is said to have worshipped Surya; Rudraprayag, the Mandakini coming down from Kedarnath, where Narada learnt music from Mahadev; and Devprayag, where the Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi and the river takes the name Ganga. Devprayag’s Raghunathji temple is a Divya Desam.
Temples in this circuit
StandingVishnuprayag
The highest of the Pancha Prayag, where the Vishnuganga (the Alaknanda) meets the Dhauliganga below Jyotirmath. Devarshi Narada worshipped Vishnu here.
StandingNandprayag
The confluence of the Nandakini with the Alaknanda, named after King Nanda, who performed a yajna here. The Gopalji temple stands above the sangam.
StandingKarnaprayag
The confluence of the Pindar with the Alaknanda, where Karna did tapas to Surya Dev. The temple of Uma Devi stands above the sangam.
StandingRudraprayag
The confluence of the Mandakini, coming down from Kedarnath, with the Alaknanda. Here Devarshi Narada did tapas and Bhagwan Shiva taught him music; here the roads to Kedarnath and Badrinath part.
StandingDevprayag and the Raghunath Temple
Where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda meet and the river is first called Ganga. Above the sangam is the Raghunath temple, where Shri Rama did tapas, sung by Periyalvar as one of the 108 Divya Desams.