Devprayag

Devprayag stands where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers meet among the mountains of Garhwal. Below their sacred confluence the combined stream is known as the Ganges. Above the water rises the temple of Raghunathji, dedicated to Rama and Sita; tradition holds that Rama performed penance here after killing Ravana. Pilgrims on their way to Badrinath have long stopped at this meeting of the rivers.

The rulers of Garhwal supported the temple. In 1551 Sahaj Pal gave it a bell, and inscriptions record further gifts by Man Shah in 1610. The temple's doorways also bear inscriptions from the reign of Prithvi Pat Shah in 1664. Its ancient worship and the gifts of these mountain kings made Devprayag a sacred landmark on the journey into the Himalayas.