Karnaprayag

01Karna’s tapas

The Garhwal tradition holds that Karna, son of Surya and Kunti, stood in the water at this confluence in tapas to his father, and that Surya gave him here the kavacha and kundala that made him unconquerable. A stone at the river is shown as Karna Shila, and the town carries his name. Another katha says Shri Krishna performed Karna’s last rites at this spot after Kurukshetra.

02Uma Devi and the Pindar

The Pindar rises at the Pindari glacier in Kumaon and meets the Alaknanda here. Above the sangam is the temple of Uma Devi, whose shrine Adi Shankaracharya is said to have renewed; images of Shiva, Ganesha and Karna share it. The murti of Uma Devi goes out in procession to the villages of the area once in twelve years. From Karnaprayag the road to Adi Badri, Gairsain and Kumaon branches off from the Badrinath highway.