SSC
The town situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi, where the river takes the name Ganga, is:
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Answer: Option C — Devprayag
Detailed Solution
Devprayag, in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, is the place where the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda rivers meet. From this point onwards, the combined river is called the Ganga.
Meaning and significance:
"Devprayag" means "godly confluence". It is considered one of the holiest places in Uttarakhand.
The Raghunath temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, is an important shrine here; according to tradition, Rama performed penance at Devprayag.
The two rivers can be seen meeting: the Bhagirathi is fast and turbulent, while the Alaknanda is calmer and carries more water.
The Panch Prayag:
The Alaknanda meets five rivers at five sacred confluences in Uttarakhand, together called the Panch Prayag. Devprayag is the last of these, where the Alaknanda joins the Bhagirathi.
The other four confluences, upstream on the Alaknanda, are each covered in separate questions.
The Alaknanda:
- It rises from the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers near the Indo-Tibet border, in the Chamoli district.
- It is longer than the Bhagirathi at the point of their confluence and is considered by many geographers as the main source stream of the Ganga, although the Bhagirathi is regarded as the source in tradition.
The Bhagirathi:
- It rises from the Gangotri glacier at Gaumukh.
- It flows through Uttarkashi district before reaching Devprayag.
After Devprayag:
The Ganga flows through Rishikesh and enters the plains at Haridwar, which means "gateway to god".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Rudraprayag and Nandprayag are other confluences on the Alaknanda.
- ✗Haridwar is where the Ganga enters the plains.
Quick tip
Remember: Devprayag = Bhagirathi + Alaknanda = Ganga (last of the Panch Prayag).
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Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's drainage system: the Himalayan rivers (the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems), the peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi and Mahanadi), their tributaries and origins, waterfalls, lakes, and the major dams and multipurpose river projects. Exams ask about the origin of a river, its tributaries, the cities on its banks, and the river on which a dam is built. For example, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is on the Sutlej, the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi, and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada. Remember that the Narmada and Tapi flow west into the Arabian Sea, while most peninsular rivers flow east. Practise the rivers, lakes and dams of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.