The Alaknanda is a river in the state of Uttarakhand and one of the two of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and a river considered holy in Hinduism. In hydrology, the Alaknanda is considered the headstream of the Ganges on account of its greater length and discharge;
Course
The Alaknanda rises at the confluence and foot of the Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak
in Uttarakhand.
[In Hindu culture ] From its origin, it travels to the village of Mana, meets with the Saraswati River, a right bank
tributary, and continues downstream through narrow valleys. It reaches the Badrinath valley, arrives at Hanumanchatti, and meets with the Ghrit Ganga, a right bank tributary. From Hanumanchatti, the river goes to Pandukeshwar and flows through wide valleys and steep terrains. At
Vishnuprayag it meets Dhauliganga, a left bank tributary, and travels west to the town of
Joshimath. From Joshimath, the Alaknanda crosses the Main Central Thrust near Helang. It then meets with Birahi Ganga, a left bank tributary at Birahi. The river reaches the town of
Nandaprayag and joins with the
Nandakini, a left bank tributary. At
Karnaprayag, the
Pindar River, a left bank tributary, meets with the Alaknanda River. At
Rudraprayag, it meets with the
Mandakini River, a right bank tributary. As the Alaknanda flows past Rudraprayag, it enters a wide valley near Srinagar, Garhwal. At
Devprayag the Alaknanda River converges with the Bhagirathi River and travels onward as the Ganges River.
The Alaknanda contributes a significantly larger portion to the flow of the Ganges than the Bhagirathi.[Singh Negi, Sharad (1995). Uttarakhand: Land and People, page 6. MD Publications Pvt Ltd. .]
Religious significance
In ancient Hindu texts, the Alaknanda river has been used synonymously with the Ganges river. In the
Vishnu Purana, the Ganges river which surrounds the city of
Brahma divides into four and one of rivers is called Alaknanda, which flows south to India.
Five rivers merge with the Alaknanda and are referred to as prayag or 'holy confluence of rivers' and are places of pilgrimage in Hinduism.[Kapadia, Harish (2001). Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya, page 89. Stackpole Books. .]
The Alaknanda also flows through other important places of pilgrimage such as Badrinath and Joshimath.
Recreation
The Alaknanda river is known for river
rafting due to its high rafting grade.
Dams
There are 37
hydroelectric in operation, under construction or planned to harness the energy of the Alaknanda river and its tributaries and generate electricity.
[ Hydroelectric Projects on Alaknanda River Basin, by South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People, www.sandrp.in]
There are 23 other proposed projects in the Alaknanda river basin through which the power-potential of the Alaknanda and its tributaries can be harnessed. The proposed 23 hydel-projects are as follows -
-
Alaknanda (Badrinath) (300 MW)
-
Bagoli (72 MW)
-
Bowla Nandprayag (132 MW)
-
Chuni Semi (60 MW)
-
Deodi (60 MW)
-
Devsari Dam (255 MW)
-
Gauri Kund (18.6 MW)
-
Gohana Tal (60 MW)
-
Jelam Tamak (60 MW)
-
Karnaprayag (160 MW)
-
Lakshmanganga (4.4 MW)
-
Lata Tapovan (310 MW)
-
Maleri Jelam (55 MW)
-
Nandprayag Langasu (141 MW)
-
Padli Dam (27 MW)
-
Phata-Byung (10.8 MW)
-
Rambara (24 MW)
-
Rishiganga I (70 MW)
-
Rishiganga II (35 MW)
-
Tamak Lata (280 MW)
-
Urgam II (3.8 MW)
-
Utyasu Dam (860 MW)
-
Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW)
==Gallery==
See also
-
2013 North India floods
-
2021 Uttarakhand flood
External links
