Devprayag

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Location
Devprayag lies at an altitude of 472 m, on Rishikesh-Badrinath route, about 75 Km from Rishikesh.

The Temple Town
The small town of Devprayag can be said to be a temple town, due to presence of many temples here. The town is at the confluence of river Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. From this confluence point onwards, the new river is called as Ganga. Before this point, Bhagirathi is considered Ganga. The place is of high religious importance, as Ganga takes it real form here. The town is named after a sage Dev Sharma, who lived here and meditated. He is said to have been blessed with a glimpse of god. Devprayag is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims. Religious ablutions take place at two basins excavated in the rock at the junction of the holy streams. One on the Bhagirathi known as the Brahm Kund and the other on the Alaknanda called Vashisth Kund.

Temples of Devprayag
Raghunathji Temple
The temple of Raghunathji is dedicated to lord Rama. The temple is claimed to be 10,000 years old. It is one of the oldest existing temples of India. Raghunathji temple is made of huge uncemented stones, kept one over another, in a pyramid shape. The temple recieves lakhs of pilgrims every year. The shrine of Rama was destroyed during an earthquake in 1803, and was later rebuilt by Daulat Rao Scindia. According to a local legend, the shrine is dedicated to lord Rama, when he came back to Ayodhya after his victory over Lanka. The temple compound also hosts Annapurna Devi temple, Hanuman temple, Shankaracharya temple and Garud temple.

Chandrabadani Temple
The temple of Chandrabadani is dedicated to the Goddess of power. As per legends, Sati, a consort of Shiva, accidently dropped her torso here. Her weapons got scattered in the locality. There are some old statues and lots of iron trishuls (tridents) outside the temple. A fine view of the Sirkanda, Kedarnath and Badrinath peaks can be enjoyed from here.

Dashrathshila
The Dashrathshila is supposed to be the place where Dashrath, father of lord Rama, performed penance. A small water stream, Shanta, is named after the daughter of Dashratha. The seat of Dashrath is one a small hillock called Dashrathachal Peak.

Besides these temples, there are many other important temples, like Baital Kund, Brahm Kund, Surya Kund, Vashisth Kund, the Indradyumna Tirth, Pushyamal Tirth, Varah Tirth, Pushpavatika, Baitalshila, Varahishila, the shrines of Bhairava, Bhushandi, Durga and Vishveshvara, and a temple dedicated to Bharata. A bath at Baithalshila is claimed to cure leprosy.

Reaching There
Air
The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, at 93 Km. One can get taxis and buses from Dehradun to reach Devprayag.
Rail
Rishikesh, at 76 Km, is the nearest railhead. Taxis and buses are available from Rishikesh to move to Devprayag.
Road
Devprayag is connected very well to the major towns of Uttaranchal. Major distances from Devprayag are: Shivpuri 55 Kms, RudraPrayag 69 Kms, Rishikesh 70 Kms, Joshimath 182 Kms, Haridwar 94 Kms, Badrinath 226 Kms and Delhi 298 Kms.

Accommodations
One can get some good hotels and guest houses in Devprayag. Ashrams and Government owned hotels are a good option to stay. Alternatively, one can stay at Rishikesh, which has excellent stay options, and visit Devprayag on one day trip.