Panch Prayag
In English, “prayag” means confluence. Confluences are considered sacred in Hinduism, where people bathe before worship, perform Shraddha (last rites for deceased ancestors), and worship the river itself. Panch (five) Prayag refers to five sacred confluences in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas: Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag, and Devprayag.
When the River Ganga fell to earth to wash away the ashes of King Bhagirath’s ancestors, it split into 12 streams to make it easier for the earth to withstand her force. Panch Prayag are the locations where five different Ganga streams meet at five different points in succession. Alakhananda meets Dhauli Ganga in Vishnuprayag, then meets the Nandakini River and forms Nandprayag. She now moves on to form Karnaprayag, which joins the Pindar char dham yatra River, then meets the Mandakini River to form Rudraprayag, and finally mixes with the Bhagirathi River to form Devprayag, the last of the five prayags.
Large religious towns have grown up around the confluences, named Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, and Nandprayag, as thousands of pilgrims visit the pilgrimages each year with faith and devotion. Vishnuprayag has no town due to its high altitude. Joshimath, the nearest town to Karnaprayag, is also a popular religious destination.
Legend of Panch Prayag.
The legend of Panch Prayag, formed by tributaries of the holy river Ganga in Dev Bhoomi, Uttarakhand, India, dates back to ancient times. King Bhagirath’s ancestors (father and uncles numbering in the thousands) were cursed by sage Kapil and turned into ashes.
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They accused the meditating sage of stealing their horse, which had been prepared for sacrifice during King Sagar’s Aswamedh Yagya ceremony. King Sagar is the grandfather of King Bhagirath. Furious sage Kapil, who had previously been unaware that a thief had tied the horse by his side to escape Bhagirath’s ancestors, cursed and turned them to ashes. When King Bhagirath realised his ancestors’ past, he went to meet sage Kapil and asked him how he could perform the last rites for his father and uncles. Sage Kapil advised him to call Ganga to remove the ashes and thus free them. For years, King Bhagirath prayed to the goddess Ganga to come down to earth and swipe away his ancestors’ ashes, freeing them from their sins and relieving him of the Pitri Rin (loan to be paid to ancestors).Goddess Ganga accepted the request and asked Lord Shiva to bear her char dham yatra tour operators force so that the earth could cope. Lord Shiva agreed to Ganga’s request and sat on earth to land her through his Jata (hair locks).
While falling to earth, the river goddess Ganga divided into 12 streams (tributaries) to help the earth withstand her force. Panch Prayag are the locations where five different Ganga tributaries meet at five different points. Alakhananda meets Dhauli Ganga in Vishnuprayag, then meets the Nandakini River and forms Nandprayag. She now moves on to form Karnaprayag, which joins the Pindar River, then meets the Mandakini River to form Rudraprayag, and finally mixes with the Bhagirathi River to form Devprayag, the last of the five prayags.
