Religious/ Spiritual

A route diverting from Nagrasu, on the main Rudraprayag Karnprayag route, leads to the Siddha Peeth of Hariyali Devi. Haryali Devi is 22 km from Nagrasu which in turn is 37 km from the main town of Rudraprayag. At an altitude of 1400 m this place is surrounded by peaks and thick forests. According to the Hindu mythology, when Mahamaya was conceived as the seventh issue of Devki, Kansa threw Mahamaya violently on the ground. Consequently, several body parts of Mahamaya got strewn all over the earth. One part - the hand - fell at Haryali Devi, Jasholi.

One of Panch Kedars, the temple of Madmaheshwar is located at an altitude of 3,289 mt above sea-level, on the slope of a ridge, 25 km north-east of Guptkashi. There is a motorable road from Guptkashi to Kalimath. The best statue of Har Gauri in India measuring over a metre high is found in the Kali temple. The trek from Kalimath to Madmaheshwar is distinguished by wild unparalleled scenic beauty and engulfed by Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks.

A story goes that the Rishi Vyas told the Pandavas that they were guilty of killing of their own relatives and their sins would be expiated only if Shiva pardoned them. So the Pandavas began to look for Shiva. Lord Shiva kept avoiding them as he knew that Pandavas were guilty. So the Lord took refuge underground and later, his body parts resurfaced at five different places. These five places, where five magnificent temples of Lord Shiva stand, are known as the "Panch Kedar". Each one is identified with a part of his body. Tugnath is where his hands were supposedly seen.

3 km from Guptkashi, the remains of Ramgarh(in Ronitpur) still seem to echo the love between Lord Krishna's son Anniruddha and Vanasur's daughter Usha.

Sonprayag lies at an altitude of 1829 meters Son Prayag holds a captivating appeal that grabs large number of tourists each year. This tiny hamlet situates at the convergence of two majestic rivers, Mandakini and Basuki. Bounded by lofty snow clad peaks, this place offers an unruffled calmness.

Adorned with all that is pretty and beautiful, this lovely locale catches anybody’s attention. The hoary mountain peaks and the gushing waters in the rivers attribute a majestic charm to this tranquil location. Apart from its pictorial appearance, this popular tourist location is a much-revered religious place. The devotees believe that a simple dip in the rivers would fetch them with high rewards.

The confluence for river Mandakini originating from Kedarnath Dham and river Alanknanda originating from Badrinath Dham is a beautiful sight to behold.
The confluence has a great religious significance and thousands of pilgrims come here to take a holy dip. The temple of Goddess Jagdamba and Lord Shiv are also major attractions for tourists and pilgrims.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shrikrishna/2199311056/

Named after Lord Shiva (Rudra), Rudraprayag is situated at the holy confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, at a distance of 34 km from Srinagar(Garhwal). The meeting of the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers has a unique beauty of its own and it seems as if two sisters were embracing each other. It is believed that to master the mysteries of music, Narad Muni worshipped Lord Shiva, who appeared in his Rudra Avtaar (incarnation) to bless Narad. The Shiva and Jagdamba temples are of great religious importance.

According to legend, this was the place where the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati was solemnised. In front of the Shiva Temple is an eternal flame, which is said to be a witness to the marriage. It can be reached by a 12 km drive from Sonprayag. This magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, lies in the village of Triyuginarayan, on the ancient bridle path that connects Ghuttur to Shri Kedarnath. It is similar in architectural style to the temple of Kedarnath making this village an important pilgrimage centre.

Literally, Nandikund is Lord Shiva’s lake. As per Hindu mythology, the Nandi Bull of the lord used to swig water from this lake and so it got the name Nandikund. Nandikund bears close association with the Pandava brothers and that makes it a great place of religious and mythological importance. One would come across with an old and a corroded sword and the popular belief is that this weapon belonged to the Pandavas.

Gloriously encircled by the majestic peaks of Nada and Trishul, the Rudranath temple proffers an extremely divine experience to a Shiva devotee. One of the Panch Kedars, this temple depicts the lord as Neelkantha Mahadeva and it is believed that it was here that the face of the lord appeared during his struggle with the Pandavas. Another popular legend is that Lord Shiva had appeared to Narada in the form of Rudra and blessed the sage here. On a closer look the peaks in Rudranath bear a resemblance to the face of lord Shiva.