Nandaprayag – confluence of Alakananda and Nandakini River

Nandaprayag is one of the Pancha Prayags of River Alakananda. It is the confluence of the Alakananda and Nandakini river. Nandaprayag is a town in Chamoli district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is situated at an altitude of 914 meters above the sea level and located 11 kms south of Chamoli district. It lies on NH58. It is enroute to Badrinath.

Nanda Prayag

Why it is named as Nandaprayag?

Nandaprayag is also called as Kanva ashram. The summer residence of Kanva Muni was situated here. As per the earlier records, Nandaprayag’s ancient name was Kandasu (d pronounced as in ‘academy’). Historians state that there was a Takshaka Naga Temple here and hence it was also known as Takshaka Prayag or Nag Prayag.

However, chapter 58, verses 1-5 of Kedar Khand describes that in Nandaprayag, a virtuous and truthful king named Maharaja Nanda performed a great sacrifice, gave plenty of food and wealth in charity.

Due to the devotion of King Nanda, Lord Brahma and other demigods appeared and accepted their share in the sacrifice. Satisfied by the sacrifice of the king, demigods named this place as Nandaprayag. And got purified by just taking a holy dip in the sacred confluence. At this holy confluence, Lord Vishnu is present along with Lord Shiva.

Devotees believe that on the Baisakhi Festival day, Lord Vishnu along with Shiva take a holy dip in prayag. Hence taking a dip here on this day is considered very auspicious.

How to reach

By Air

Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun) is the nearest airport at 208 kms. It is well connected to all the major airports of India. Nandaprayag is well connected with motorable roads with Jolly Grant Airport. Taxis are available from the airport.

By Rail

Rishikesh Railway Station is the nearest Railway Station to reach Nandaprayag at 190 kms. Rishikesh is well connected by rail network with major destinations of India. Taxis, private and state buses are available at the Rishikesh Railway Station.

By Road

Nandaprayag lies on national highway NH58. It is well connected by motorable roads with many cities of Uttarakhand state and other cities of India. Buses to Nandaprayag are available from Rishikesh at regular interval. Buses and taxis are accessible from major towns like Rishikesh, Srinagar, Haridwar, Dehradun and Uttarkashi.

Best climate to reach Nandaprayag

The best time to visit Nandaprayag is during the summer. During August and September, the temperature goes below 24°C on an average. November marks the beginning of the winter season and it lasts until February. The temperature varies as low as 0°C in night and the maximum of 20°C on a bright sunny day.

References

Kedar Khand by Hema Uniyal
Kedar Khand by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi