Pilgrimage Places in Uttaranchal
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Pilgrimage
Places in Uttaranchal
Deoprayag, Rudraprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag and
Vishnuprayag are the five prayags (confluences) in the
Himalayas. These five prayags are the famous pilgrimage
places in the Uttaranchal. Hemkund Sahib, Uttarkashi,
Joshimath and Srinagar are the other pilgrimage places in Uttaranchal.
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Rudraprayag
Rudraprayag is situated at the confluence of the
Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The temples of
Rudranath and Chamunda Devi are the worth visiting
temples in Rudraprayag. On the way from Srinagar
to Rudraprayag in a grove of trees by a village is
a tablet which marks the spot where the Man-eating
Leopard of Rudraprayag was finally killed by Jim
Corbett. Rudraprayag is a linear town strung out
along a fairly narrow part of the Alaknanda
valley. |
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Srinagar
Srinagar is the old capital of Garhwal, the Land of
forts. It is an important cultural and educational
centre. Srinagar was devastated by a great earthquake in
the mid 19th century. As a result, there is a little of
antiquity. The most attractive part of Srinagar is down
from the square towards the river. There are some
typical houses with elaborate carved door jambs. The
places that can be visited in Srinagar are Kamleshwar
and Kikileshwar temple and the Shankar math.
Gauchar
Gauchar, famous locally for its annual cattle fair, is
about midway between Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag. The
valley is wider here providing the local population with
very good agicultural land.
Karnaprayag
Karnaprayag is situated at the confluence of the
Alaknanda and Pindar rivers. The temples of Uma and
Karna are located in Karnaprayag.
Nandaprayag
Nandaprayag is situated at the confluence of the
Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The Gopalji temple is
the worth visiting temple in Nandaprayag. |
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Deoprayag
Deoprayag is the most important prayags as it is
located at the junction of the Bhagirathi and
Alaknanda rivers. Below Deoprayag, the river
Bhagirathi becomes Ganga. The town of Deoprayag is
mostly confined and squashed into the deeply cut
valley between the junction of the two rivers and
tumbles down the hillside, houses almost on the
top of one another. There is a bathing ghat where
the rivers meet, artificially made into the shape
of India. The various pilgrims take a bath in this
river. Some of the ancient stone scriptures were
also found here. The famous pilgrimage shrines in
Deoprayag are the Shiv Temple and Raghunath
Temple.
Chamoli
Chamoli is the tiny mountain retreat from
Gopeshwar to Badrinath highway. Chamoli is the
principal market for |
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the
district of the same name, though the headquarters are
Gopeshwar on the hillside opposite. This retreat
attracts visitors for its verdant landscapes and fresh
mountain air. The valley walls are now much higher and
steeper and the road twists and turns more. There is
constant troop movement up to the border with Tibet /
China and military establishments are a frequent site on
the road.
Hemkund Sahib
The Hemkund Sahib is the place where the Guru Gobind
Singh, the tenth Guru is believed to have sat in
meditation during a previous incarnation. It is situated
near the Valley of Flowers. It is an important
pilgrimage shrine of the Sikhs and Hindus. Despite its
ancient connections, Hemkund Sahib became a major
pilgrimage place after 1930. This place was discovered
by Solan Singh. Along the shores of the holy Hemkund
Lake, a Gurudwara, the sacred Sikh Shrine is located
where Guru Gobind Singh unified with God after prolonged
meditation in his previous birth. Most of the pilgrims
take a bath in the icy cold waters of the lake, before
visiting the shrine. The reflection of surrounding
snow-clad peaks in its placid waters offers a scenic
sight. The Hindus also visit this pilgrimage shrine and
refer it as Lokpal. Here Lakshmana, the younger brother
of Lord Rama meditated. A small temple dedicated to him
is located near the Gurudwara. |
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Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Vishnuprayag is the
winter home of Sri Badrinathji. Joshimath is
situated on the slopes above the confluence of the
Alaknanda and Dhauliganga river. It is one of the
four maths established by the Adi Guru
Shankaracharya. It is also located at the junction
of two formerly important Trans-Himalayan trading
routes. An ancient temple of Lord Vishnu is
situated here which stands beside a pool called
Vishnu Kund. |
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Uttarkashi
Uttarkashi is an important pilgrimage centre, situated
at an altitude of 1150 meters above sea level on the
banks of the Bhagirathi river. Some of the temples which
can be visited in Uttarkashi are Vishwanath Temple,
Ekadash Rudra Temple, Gyaneshwar Temple and Kuteti Devi
Temple. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is
situated nearby. Every year, during the Magh Mela,
people visit Uttarkashi to take a holy dip in the
Bhagirathi river along with the image of their village
deity. |
