Rudraprayag

Himalayan town and sacred site (tirtha)
at the junction of the Mandakini and
Alakananda rivers, two Himalayan tributaries of the Ganges River. As with all the
other river junctions in the Garhwal
region, Rudraprayag is considered an
especially holy place for bathing (snana),
although the raging currents make it
dangerous. Above the junction of the
rivers is a temple to Shiva in his form as
Rudra. According to local tradition, this
marked the place where the sage Narada
performed physical asceticism (tapas) to
gain his skill as a bard. Shiva, pleased
with Narada’s efforts, instructed Narada
in music and remained at the spot.