When it comes to traveling for nourishing your soul, there are very few places better than the start of river Ganga.
The holiest river for Hindus, river Ganga starts in a majestic style at the quaint, picturesque town of Devprayag.
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Introducing Devprayag
Devprayag is a beautiful hill town located in the Tehri Garhwal District in the state of Uttarakhand in Northern India.
It is situated at a height of 2,723 feet or 830 metres. A small town in Uttarakhand, you will find mention of Devprayag mainly in offbeat location lists of India.
This town is of significant importance to devout Hindus as it famous for being the start of river Ganga that flows through several states in India. It is a lifeline to hundreds of millions of people across the country.
Devprayag is about 70 kms from the popular town of Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world.
Start of River Ganga
The sacred river Ganga starts in quite a spectacular fashion from Devprayag.
“Dev” means God while “Prayag” mean confluence. River Alakananda and River Bhagirathi, two great rivers in their own right, merge at Devprayag to form the holy river Ganga.
This confluence is quite a sight, something that should not be missed if traveling to the Northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
What adds to the spectacle is the fact that the two merging rivers have a slightly different colour. Depending upon the time of the year, the merged waters of river Ganga have a greenish or blueish hue to it.
As per legends, a third river, Saraswati, also merges with the two rivers and is underground.
Uttarakhand in general is an extremely popular tourist destination in India. Therefore, it is a real shame that Devprayag does not get the same reverence it deserves amongst the many tourist hotspots of the state.
Devprayag is actually the final confluence of what locals call “Panch Prayag”, the five major confluences of River Alakananda and River Bhagirathi.
It is at this fifth confluence that the two rivers merge completely to form River Ganga. Hence Devprayag is the starting point of the flow of Ganga.
Visiting Devprayag
Why start of river Ganga should be in your travel bucket list
Devprayag is well connected with various Indian cities and can easily be visited from either Dehradun or New Delhi.
Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun is the nearest airport to Devprayag. It is at about 87 kms distance and takes around 2 hours 20 minutes by taxi or bus.
You can even drive or take a tourist taxi from New Delhi. The distance is about 320 kms and takes 7 hours to reach.
The roads are quite nice with the latter half of the journey going through picturesque hillside roads. You get incredible valley views and there are rivers throughout the way.
A lot of tourists combine a visit to Devprayag with the other popular towns of Rishikesh and Haridwar.
As someone who travels through the state of Uttarakhand quite often, I do feel Devprayag should be in your travel bucket list.
Not only do you get to witness the majestic start of river Ganga, visit a spot that is so sacred to Hindu culture, you also get to experience a beautiful hill-town of India surrounded with pine trees, gorgeous valleys, beautiful birds and other wonders of nature.
Devprayag is a small but charming town that just feels peaceful, calm and connected to your soul.
Rishikesh to Devprayag
If you are at Rishikesh, then a visit to Devprayag is a must.
Rishikesh to Devprayag takes about 2 hours by car and the two towns are about 73 kms apart.
The road from Rishikesh to Devprayag is in good condition and well maintained for the most part. In fact, it is one of the must do drives in Uttarakhand considering its all hillside roads with superb views of the valley and streams of rivers that follow the route.
Rishikesh to Devprayag is also a great route for bikers. There are many picturesque spots to stop, refresh and soak in the mountain forests.
You can get either a bus or taxi quite easily from Rishikesh. Our preference is taxi as it enables you to relax and make the most of the journey.
If you decide to drive yourself, do keep in mind that the hill roads can get quite narrow at certain points and you must keep oncoming vehicles in mind at every curve.
Devprayag and Rudraprayag
People often confuse Devprayag and Rudraprayag as the same but in reality, they are two different towns with a distance of 67 kms from each other.
It takes a little less than 2 hours to reach Rudraprayag from Devprayag by car.
Rudraprayag is in fact part of the Panch Prayag (five confluences of rivers Alakananda and Bhagirathi).
The 5 towns that make up the entire Panch Prayag are:
- Vishnuprayag
- Nandaprayag
- Karnaprayag
- Rudraprayag
- Devprayag
You can visit all 5 towns and take a dip in the rivers in each of the places as part of a grand itinerary for Panch Prayag tourism.
Bathing at River Ganga in Devprayag
You can bathe at River Ganga in Devprayag at the designated bathing ghat (steps leading to the river).
Taking a ‘holy dip’ is a refreshing as well as soul enriching experience. Being submerged in the cold waters of river Ganga, at the very start, for those few seconds you get to connect with your own inner self and forget the world outside.
Even if you are not spiritual or religious, it is a great experience that you can tick in your once in a lifetime travel bucket list.
Do keep in mind to take a dip in river Ganga only at the designated spot. There are several other places where you may get a chance but sometimes the currents or flow of the water could be too strong for you to handle.
Hotels in Devprayag
There are several places to stay in and around Devprayag.
From homestays to budget hotels, camp sites and luxury resorts, you will find it all.
However, since Devprayag itself is a very small town, most of the hotels, especially the luxury or modern boutique hotels are just outside of town.
There are beautiful glamping areas as well that are quite near to the river with superb mountain views.
As a tourist, you will find many hotels and homestays at a 10 km radius from Devprayag town center.
A lot of visitors also prefer to stay at Rishikesh and visit Devprayag as a day trip if your goal is to simply witness the start of river Ganga.
For a full list of hotels, homestays, camping sites with latest prices at Devprayag, please search here.
Things to do in Devprayag
The main attraction of Devprayag is the start of river Ganga. It is also a place if you want to find solace in the lap of nature.
Devprayag, thanks to its proximity to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, is a place of both faith and adventure.
It has something for every kind of vacationer.
Amongst the top things to do in Devprayag are:
- Witness the spectacular start of river Ganga and take a holy dip in its waters.
- Go for several treks all around the town with superb views of the valley. Some treks are incredibly rich in flora, fauna and wildlife.
- Go on a wonderful temple tour with ancient temples spread all around the town.
- Indulge in adventure sport from river rafting to rock climbing.
- Visit various towns around Devprayag that are equally picturesque.
- Indulge in Garhwal cuisine at one of the many cafes and restaurants at Devprayag.
Check here for specific activities, experiences and things to do in Devprayag and Rishikesh.
Final thoughts
Devprayag is one of those places that you visit when you want to travel for self-realization.
It is a town that feels spiritual as well as adventurous. Devprayag is not just about the Hindu faith and sacred rituals. It is for all who want to experience something meaningful.
River Ganga, the lifeline to hundreds of millions of people in South Asia, it’s birth is something definitely not to be missed.
I for one, feel connected to myself, to my earth, after a soul enriching visit to Devprayag.
