Devprayag
Encyclopedia
Devprayag (Devanagari
: देव प्रयाग) is a town and a nagar panchayat
(municipality) in Tehri Garhwal district
in the state of Uttarakhand
, India
, and is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River
and where the Ganges River
is formed.
.
"Devaprayaga" means "Holy Confluence" in Sanskrit. As per Hindu Scriptures, Devaprayaga is the sacred event of merging two heavenly rivers, Alakananda and Bhagirathi, to form the holy Ganga.
On a terrace in the upper part of the village is the temple of Raghunathji, built of huge stones, pyramidal in form and capped by a white cupola.
Devprayag is the home of the late Acharya Shri Pt. Chakradhar Joshi (a scholar in Astronomy and Astrology) who established Nakshatra Vedh Shala (an observatory) in the year 1946. This is located on a mountain called Dashrathanchal at Devprayag. The observatory is well equipped with two telescopes and many books to support research in astronomy. It also contains about 3000 manuscripts from 1677 AD onwards collected from various parts of country. Apart from the latest equipment, it also has the ancient equipment like Surya Ghati, Jal Ghati and Dhruv Ghati which showcase the pride of Bharatiya progress in the field of astronomy. Shri Dr. Prabhakar Joshi and Acharya Shri Bhaskar Joshi (Popularly known as Guruji) are currently in charge and caretakers of the observatory.
Devprayag is full of natural beauty. Other than Sangam and Raghunath Ji Temple in Devprayag, one can visit nearby sacred places like Danda Naggaraja (Lord of Snakes) temple and Chandrabadni temple.
and Bhagirath Kharak glacier
s in Uttarakhand
. The headwaters of the Bhagirathi are formed at Gaumukh, at the foot of the Gangotri glacier
and Khatling glaciers in the Garhwal
Himalaya. These two sacred rivers join to form the Ganges (Ganga) in Devprayag.
Devprayag is 70 km from Rishikesh. Devprayag has an average elevation of 830 metres (2,723 feet).
India census
, Dev Prayag had a population of 2144. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Dev Prayag has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy is 82% and, female literacy is 72%. In Dev Prayag, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. The town is the seat of the pandas of the Badrinath Dham.
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: देव प्रयाग) is a town and a nagar panchayat
Nagar Panchayat
A nagar palika or nagar panchayat is a form of an urban political unit in India comparable to a municipality.An urban centre with more than 30,000 and less than 100,000 inhabitants is classified as a nagar panchayat....
(municipality) in Tehri Garhwal district
Tehri Garhwal District
Tehri Garhwal is one of the largest districts in the hill state of Uttarakhand, India. Its administrative headquarters is at New Tehri. The district has a population of 604,747 , a 16.15% increase over the previous decade...
in the state of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River
Alaknanda River
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India that is one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism...
and where the Ganges River
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
is formed.
Overview
Traditionally, it is considered to be the place where sage Devasharma led his ascetic life, giving birth its present name, Devprayag. It is one of the five sacred confluences in the hills and is an important place of pilgrimage for devout HindusHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
"Devaprayaga" means "Holy Confluence" in Sanskrit. As per Hindu Scriptures, Devaprayaga is the sacred event of merging two heavenly rivers, Alakananda and Bhagirathi, to form the holy Ganga.
On a terrace in the upper part of the village is the temple of Raghunathji, built of huge stones, pyramidal in form and capped by a white cupola.
Devprayag is the home of the late Acharya Shri Pt. Chakradhar Joshi (a scholar in Astronomy and Astrology) who established Nakshatra Vedh Shala (an observatory) in the year 1946. This is located on a mountain called Dashrathanchal at Devprayag. The observatory is well equipped with two telescopes and many books to support research in astronomy. It also contains about 3000 manuscripts from 1677 AD onwards collected from various parts of country. Apart from the latest equipment, it also has the ancient equipment like Surya Ghati, Jal Ghati and Dhruv Ghati which showcase the pride of Bharatiya progress in the field of astronomy. Shri Dr. Prabhakar Joshi and Acharya Shri Bhaskar Joshi (Popularly known as Guruji) are currently in charge and caretakers of the observatory.
Devprayag is full of natural beauty. Other than Sangam and Raghunath Ji Temple in Devprayag, one can visit nearby sacred places like Danda Naggaraja (Lord of Snakes) temple and Chandrabadni temple.
Geography
The Alaknanda rises at the confluence and feet of the SatopanthSatopanth Glacier
The Satopanth Glacier is situated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.The term ‘Satopanth’ is perhaps derived from two words – ‘Sato’ meaning heaven, and ‘Panth’ meaning path or way. The glacier is one of the popular glaciers of Uttarakhand...
and Bhagirath Kharak glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. The headwaters of the Bhagirathi are formed at Gaumukh, at the foot of the Gangotri glacier
Gangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. This glacier, source of the Ganges, is one of the largest in the Himalayas with an estimated volume of over 27 cubic kilometers. The glacier is about 30 kilometres long and 2 to 4 km wide...
and Khatling glaciers in the Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
Himalaya. These two sacred rivers join to form the Ganges (Ganga) in Devprayag.
Devprayag is 70 km from Rishikesh. Devprayag has an average elevation of 830 metres (2,723 feet).
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Dev Prayag had a population of 2144. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Dev Prayag has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy is 82% and, female literacy is 72%. In Dev Prayag, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. The town is the seat of the pandas of the Badrinath Dham.
External links
- Devprayag, Official website
- Devprayag photo gallery
- Devprayag on wikimapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...