Rudra Prayaga
(IPLTOURS)
Appeal to friends and visitors As a part of the Char Dham Yatra, we are presenting the details of the places to visit in Rudraprayag.
Rudraprayag is the hub of the pilgrimage to all shrines in the Himalayan mountains like Kedarnath and Badrinath of the Char Dham Yatra, and other yatras like Manasarovar also. Pilgrims have to travel through Agastyamuni, Kund, Guptakshi, Gaurikund to reach Kedarnath and Karnaprayag, Nandaprayag, Chamoli, Pipalkot, Joshimath and Hanuman Chatti to reach Badrinath from Rudraprayag. Kedarnath is located at a distance of 76 km and Badrinath is located at a distance of 155 km from Rudraprayag. Pilgrims departing from Uttarkashi will have to reach Rudraprayag located at a distance of 75 km from Devprayag after visiting the temples in Devaprayag.
Rudraprayag
Rudraprayag is the district headquarters and municipal town. Rudraprayag is the second of the five confluences on the Alaknanda River is from Rishikesh. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple is located in the Rudraprayag district. During the floods of 2013, most of the new buildings along the confluence area were washed away and damaged by the flood waters. The foot bridge over the Mandakini River at Raitoli and the footpath from Gaurikund to Kedarnath were washed away in the floods. Road travel to Kedarnath, Badrinath and other shrines in the Himalayan range is only through Rudraprayag. There are daily bus services from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag. Rudraprayag is located at a distance of 141 km from Rishikesh via Devprayag and 175 km from Uttarkashi. The details of the important temples and places in Rudraprayag are furnished hereunder.
Koteswara Mahadev
Koteshwara Mahadev Temple is a holy shrine located on the banks of River Alaknanda in Rudraprayag town. The temple is located in a cave on the banks of the river Alaknanda. It is believed that Lord Shiva performed penance here during his visit to Kedarnath As per the legend, Lord Shiva gave boon to Bhasmasur to cremated those who wear his palm on their head. When Bhasmasur wants to examine the boon and tried to put his hand on head of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva fled from him and performed penance about Lord Vishnu in a cave on the bank of the river Alaknanda in Rudrapayag on his way to Kedarnath. Lord Vishnu appeared in the incarnation of Mohini to Bhasmasur and provoked him to compete in dance with him. Bhasmasur agreed and danced with Mohini. In the middle of the dance, Mohini performed the posture of placing her two hands on her head and Bhasmasur also placed his palms on his head and burned as ashes.
Rudranath Temple
Rudranath Temple, located at the confluence of the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers in Rudraprayag, is familiar temple of Lord Shiva. According to legend, sage Narada performed long penance about Lord Shia, the progenitor of music, who wanted to learn the art of music. Devotees believe that Lord Shiva rejoicedfor the penance of sage Naradu and incarnated in the form of Rudra blessing sage Narada. Legend is that Lord Shiva created Rudra Veena,(an instrument of music) which resembles the life style of Maa Parvati, and that five ragas emerged from the five faces of Lord Shiva. The sixth verse was created by Goddess Parvati herself. Lord Shiva created Bhairava Raga from eastern face, Hindola Raga from the west face, Megha Raga from the north face, Deepaka Raga from the south face and Sri Raga from the fifth face. Goddess Parvati herself created the Kaushika Raga. Sage Narada worshiped Shiva and learned music. Lord Shiva taught music to Narada as Adi Purusha in the form of Rudra. There is still a stone here called Narada Shila.
Chamunda Devi Temple
Yadevi Sarvabhuteshu Matrurupena Sansthitah!
Yadevi Sarvabhuteshu Shaktirupena Sansthitah!
Yadevi Sarvabhuteshu Shantirupena Sansthitah!
Namasthmeyah Namasthmeyah Namasthmeyah Namonamah !!
Chamundi Temple is located at the confluence of the Alaknanda Mandakini Rivers. Chamundi, the incarnation of Goddess Parvati, is worshipped with Lord Shiva in the form Rudranath Mahadev. The temples of Chamundi and Jagdamba are of religious significance among Hindus. The Chamundi temple at the confluence attained heavy flood damage in 2013.
Pedestrian Bridge (Jhula)
After the catastrophic floods of 2013, the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers has not yet fully recovered. At the confluence of the Alaknanda on the right and Mandakini on the north at Rudra Prayag, there was a footbridge (Jhula) on River Mandakini before the floods occurred on June 17, 2013.Before the floods, there was a pedestrian bridge (Jhula) on Mandakini River. The bridge was washed away in floods in Uttarakhand. However, from a high place, it is possible to see the surrounding area. There is a large stone called Narad shila. The Narada rock here, which was a witness to the Satya Era for centuries together, has been submerged in floods. The floodwaters have not yet been removed on the stone trapped between flood waters. It is said that Sage Narada meditated Lord Shiva for years together on this rock and acquired musical knowledge.
Dhari Devi Mandir
Dhari Devi Temple is located on the banks of the Alaknanda River in the village of Kalyasour, 16 km from Rudraprayag between Srinagar and Rudraprayag in the state of Uttarakhand. The locals believe that Dhari Devi will transform primarily into a virgin, then into a young woman and then into an old woman. According to a local legend, once upon a time, the idol of Goddess Kali was caught in a rock when it was flooded. It is believed that the people of Dharo village heard the voice of Goddess Kali and pulled the idol out from the place and the temple became popular as Dhari Devi Temple ever since.
It is believed that Goddess Dhari Devi commanded that the idol should be kept outside without any roof, and accordingly the idol was erected under the sky. People believe that Goddess Dhari is the guardian deity of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath Char Dham shrines and as the guardian deity of the Himalayan range. The Goddess worshipped in the name of Srimat Bhagwati, one of the 108 Shakti Peethas.
The Upperpart of the idol of Goddess Dhari Devi is worshiped in the form of Kali in Kalimath. in order to build a power project on the Alaknanda River the statue in the former temple was transformed into a concrete platform constructed on the upper part on the Alaknanda River on June 16, 2013, to prevent it from sinking, Immediately after the replacement of the idol of Dhari Devi, the state of Uttarakhand was hit by heavy floods that day, causing heavy loss of life and property from Kedarnath to Rudraprayag.
Locals and devotees feel that the floods caused property damage and loss of lives due to the evacuation of the idol from its original place. People say that the Kedarnath region was devastated by an earthquake two hundred years ago when an attempt was made by the local king to replace the idol of Dharidevi.
The foot path and all the temporary shelters in Kedarnath were washed away during the floods. Darmila Uttarakhand Government has constructed a walkway near the Kedarnath Temple with the assistance of the Central Government. And temporary accommodation is currently being built here for overnight stays. GVMN buildings for accommodation to the pilgrims have recently been constructed and are available to travellers. There is a common bathroom and limited water facility with Tiffin and dining facilities. Apart from these there are many newly built private tents and hostels.
IPLTOURS – Indian Pilgrim Tours
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