Rudraprayag: The holy confluence
Rudraprayag is a holy confluence where the Alakhananda and Mandakini rivers meet at 610 meters above sea level. It is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of the Ganga and the fourth confluence in the Rudraprayag district of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag attracts thousands of pilgrims each year due to its religious significance and sacredness. Religious tourists take a dip in Rudraprayag and feel blessed for being able to atone for past sins.
Rudra Prayag Temple
The meeting point Rudraprayag has two temples: one dedicated to Lord Rudra and another to Goddess Chamunda. God Rudra is Lord Shiva’s Raudra (angry) form, and Goddess Chamunda is one of Parvati’s nine forms (also known as Nava Durga). Nearby is a stone known as Narad Shila, where sage Narada, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, meditated to please Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva responded to Narada’s meditation in Rudra form at the confluence site, and char dham yatra Narada asked him to teach him Veena playing (if you have seen any religious videos featuring Narada, you will have seen him carrying the musical instrument Veena). Lord Rudra performed the famous ‘Tandava’ nritya (dance) at the same location and taught Narada how to play the Veena. Tandava is a vigorous dance that is thought to be the source of the cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution, the three roles assigned to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Maheshwar, respectively.
Rudra Prayag Tourism
Rudraprayag, 34 kilometres from Srinagar, is one of the most popular and must-see destinations for CharDham pilgrims because it is where the paths to Kedarnath and Badrinath diverge. Kedarnath is 87 kilometres from Rudraprayag, and the route passes through Agastmuni, Chandrapuri, and Ukhimath. Badrinath is 157 kilometres from Rudraprayag, passing through Karnaprayag, Nandaprayag, Joshimath, and Vishnuprayag.
Magnificent Himalayan peaks, playful sacred rivers, and a diverse range of flora and fauna that tourists can see from Rudraprayag immerse them in nature’s beauty and provide fresh air. Rudraprayag, named after the holy confluence, offers visitors splendour, natural beauty, and a market where they can buy goods.
Legend of Rudraprayag
The legend of Rudraprayag originated with the legend of Panch Prayag’s formation. King Bhagirath‘s ancestors (father and uncles numbering in the thousands) were cursed by sage Kapil and turned into ashes. 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 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. Alakhananda now char dham yatra tour operators moves down to form Karnaprayag uniting with Pindar river, then goes to meet Mandakini river and forms Rudraprayag and finally mixes with Bhagirathi river and forms the last of five prayags, Devprayag.
The best time to visit Rudraprayag is between March and October, avoiding the monsoon months and heavy rain that can damage roads like it did this year. The flood of June 16th, 2013 destroyed temples, homes, and claimed many lives.
Rudraprayag can also be visited in the winter, when the weather is cool and comfortable for walking in heavy woollen clothes.
How to get to Rudraprayag?
By Air: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant in Dehradun, which is 154 kilometres from Rudraprayag. Tourists must take another mode of transportation from Jolly Grant Airport to reach Rudraprayag.
By Rail: Rishikesh railway station, 138 kilometres from Rudraprayag, is the closest railhead connected to Haridwar railway station. 24 kilometres from Rishikesh, the Haridwar railway station is a larger station that connects all of the country’s cities. Tourists must use roadways after leaving the Rishikesh Railway Station. Dehradun Railway Station is 179 kilometres from Rudraprayag.
By Road: Regular bus service runs from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag, which is 141 kilometres away. Tourists can travel to Rishikesh from New Delhi and other parts of the country, passing through Haridwar.