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About
Alaknanda River |
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The
Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand,
India, it is one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the
major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.
In hydrology, the Alaknanda is considered the source stream of
the Ganges on account of its greater length and discharge;
however, in Hindu mythology and culture, the other headstream,
the Bhagirathi, is considered the source stream. |
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Overview |
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The
Alaknanda is considered to rise at the convergence and foot of
the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers in Uttarakhand,
though the Saraswati River tributary flowing from Mana Pass is
longer; the two meet at Mana, India which is about 21 kms from
Tibet. Three km below Mana the Alaknanda flows past the Hindu
pilgrimage centre of Badrinath. It meets the Bhagirathi River at
Devprayag after flowing for about 190 km through the Alaknanda
valley. Its main tributaries are the Nandakini,Mandakini, and
Pindar rivers. The Alaknanda system drains parts of Chamoli,
Tehri, and Pauri districts.
Following the merging at Devprayag, the river is known as the
Ganges. The Alaknanda contributes considerably a larger portion
to the flow of the Ganges than the Bhagirathi. The Alaknanda is
also known for adventure sports such as rafting.
In mythology, the Goddess Ganga descended to earth at Gangotri,
the original source of the Bhagirathi before the Gangotri
Glacier receded to its current location at Gomukh. The Alaknanda
is considered to have split off from the celestial Ganges when
it descended from heaven.
The origin of Alaknanda River is of special interest to the
tourists who visit the important pilgrimages in Uttarakhand. The
Ganges rises in the southern Himalayas on the Indian side of the
Tibet border. The five headstreams of the Ganges including the
Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Alaknanda, Dhauliganga and Pindar, all
rising in the northern mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.
On the Satopanth Glacier six km up from Alaknanda's origin at
its snout, the triangular Lake Satopanth is found at a height of
4350 m. It and the glacier are named after the Hindu trinity
Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva. Nanda Devi is the highest
point in the Alaknanda basin. |
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Attractions near Alakanda River |
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Badrinath
Badrinath is one of the holy destinations for Hindus in India.
It is located near to the bank of the Alaknanda River. This
place is enclosed by two mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan and
Neelkanth peak is located at the back side.
Panch Prayag
Several rivers in the Garhwal region merge with the Alaknanda at
Panch Prayag or 'holy confluence of rivers'. These are:
1. Vishnuprayag, where the Alaknanda is met by the Dhauliganga
River
2. Nandaprayag, where it is met by the Nandakini River
3. Karnaprayag, where it is met by the Pindar River
4. Rudraprayag, where it is met by the Mandakini River
5. Devprayag, where it meets the Bhagirathi River and officially
becomes the Ganges.
Dams
There are 37 hydroelectric dams in operation, under construction
or planned to harness the energy of the Alaknanda river and its
tributaries and generate electricity.
Recreation
Rafting
Alaknanda River origin is of great interest for the tourists who
visit the pilgrimages in Uttarakhand. Rise of the Ganges in
India is from the southern part of the Indian Himalaya, near the
Tibet border. This river is best for river rafting in the world
due to its high rafting grade.
Towns along Alaknanda River
As the river flows, the towns along its banks are Joshimath,
Devprayag, Badrinath, Nandaprayag, Vishnuprayag, Chamoli,
Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Srinagar. At each town with suffix
prayag, Alaknanda meets another river. |
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