01Five meetings of the waters
A prayag is a meeting of rivers. On its way down from Badrinath the Alaknanda takes in five streams at five holy confluences, and the pilgrim going up passes them in turn: Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag and last Vishnuprayag. Here the Alaknanda, called the Vishnuganga above this point, meets the Dhauliganga coming down from Niti. Devarshi Narada did tapas at the sangam and Bhagwan Vishnu gave him darshan, and so the place is Vishnu’s.
02The temple and the kund
Above the confluence stands an octagonal temple of Vishnu, ascribed to Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, who endowed shrines and dharmashalas along the whole Badrinath route. A stair leads down to the Vishnu Kund at the water’s edge. The current here is fierce and the gorge narrow; pilgrims bathe only from the steps.
Vishnuprayag is about 12 km from Jyotirmath on the Badrinath road. Do not step into the river; the current is dangerous.
