Don't Miss To Travel: 'Devprayag' – A Place Of Confluence Of The Body, Mind And Soul

An unassuming town firmly snuggled between 3 mountains, whose peaks are considered sacred; Devprayag is one of the 5 prayags. As you make your way up the narrow, winding roads from Rishikesh, you get to see the beautiful Ganga flowing below; it’s bejeweled, and emerald tinged waters sparkle in the early morning sun. 

Having spent the past few days in Rishikesh at a camp, I always wondered how Mother Ganga’s waters were such a brilliant shade of emerald. The answer was lying in wait for me in Devprayag.
I got off the bus at Devprayag and there was a cacophony of sounds – People greeting each other in the early morning; passengers hailing buses operating up and down the road; locals yelling on top of their lungs to attract tourists to their stalls to buy their items or to eat their food or drink chai, and even puja items for those wanting to offer prayers at the temple and Sangam.

Devprayag is divided into 3 parts. I was told to make my way down a series of steps and then go over a bridge to make my way to the Sangam. I did as was told, passing by many shops and all the people were friendly, even school kids making their way to their schools all waved and greeted me. I felt at ease with the warm reception I was given. I went down many sets of stairs, and found a platform on which one could keep their shoes before proceeding further to the sangam. 

There were many babas’ on the platform; some in deep meditation, while some greeted me with a smile. I folded my hands in pranam and went my way. I went to the sangam and stood at the water’s edge. An elderly woman was paying her obeisance to both the sacred rivers. Some tourists were looking around in delight. I stood there for a while, praying as sincerely as I could. The weather kept alternating between sunny and cloudy. I waited for a while and thankfully the sun came out again. I was now able to see the rivers clearly. I could see where the rivers me,t because the demarcation was clearly visible.

The Alaknanda flows from the left, and is an eye-catching shade of light blue or a powder blue; whereas the Bhagirathi is a light shade of green. However, in the changing weather, the colours seem to alternate. I had the fortune of meeting a local panditji who also serves at the Badrinath temple, by the name of Ashish Bhatt. We performed a small aarthi to Gangaji and I took a quick dip in the holy waters. 

They say that your sins get washed away, and I was sincerely hoping mine do too! He threw some channa & some bread in the waters, and immediately we were surrounded by shores of golden Mahaseer fish. I was standing on the very last step of the platform which was submerged in the water. The fish were swarming around my feet, each shoving the other out of the way in order to grab a few crumbs. They were beautiful to observe.

There are many legends surrounding Devprayag; from Lord Ram doing penance here (the exact spot is where the Raghunathji temple is located), & many other divine persons who have come here to meditate. Pandit Ashish Bhat explained the legends of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. He said that there were 60,000 ancestors of King Bhagirath who were cursed by a rishi (sage) and died due to the curse. In order to gain moksh for his ancestors, he would have to meditate for many years. He performed the penance and eventually Lord Shivji made Goddess Ganga flow down on earth so that wherever she flows, the souls of the slain ancestors got moksh. The Ganga River is named after King Bhagirath.

The origin of the river is from Gaumukh where the Gangotri glacier originates. The Alaknanda has its origins in Alkapuri. This was where Lord Kuber settled. If one observes both the rivers, you will notice that the Alaknanda is always calm and flows gently, whereas the Bhagirathi river flows with much vigor and restlessness. When the two merge and flow as one, the colour of Gangaji turns into a beautiful emerald (there lies my answer)! 

Since this the nature of both the rivers, it is also known as the saas-bahu ka Milan! I asked Bhatji about the floods that took place, and he pointed to a building situated on top of the highest point on the bank, which was where the waters came up till. Looking up at the building situated so far away and at such a height, I can only imagine (& shudder) as to the kind of horror the residents must have faced.

One can stay at the Ramkund resort, Motel Dev or the GMVN guest house or tourists can put up in Rishikesh itself. Meals can be had at any of these resorts or lodges. Apart from carrying away a bottle full of Ganga jal, one can also try the famous khoya based local mithai such as Bal mithai and the Singori mithai. 

Though Devprayag is a small town, it is suffused with a sense of calmness & bliss; one can sense the sacred energies that reverberate in the air. As I head back to Rishikesh, I feel the same sense of calmness & bliss pervading through my entire being.