Which one of the following places is the confluence of the rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi?
- (a)Dev Prayag
- (b)Karn Prayag
- (c)Rudra Prayag
- (d)Vishnu Prayag
Correct — A, Dev Prayag. Devprayag is the last of the five sacred 'Panch Prayag' confluences in Uttarakhand, where the Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi. Below this meeting point the united stream is called the Ganga — so Devprayag is regarded as the birthplace of the river Ganga.
- (b)Karn Prayag — Karnaprayag is the confluence of the Alaknanda with the Pindar river, not the Bhagirathi.
- (c)Rudra Prayag — Rudraprayag is the confluence of the Alaknanda with the Mandakini river, not the Bhagirathi.
- (d)Vishnu Prayag — Vishnuprayag is the confluence of the Alaknanda with the Dhauliganga river, not the Bhagirathi.
The 'Panch Prayag' are five river confluences along the Alaknanda in Uttarakhand: Vishnuprayag (Alaknanda + Dhauliganga), Nandprayag (Alaknanda + Nandakini), Karnaprayag (Alaknanda + Pindar), Rudraprayag (Alaknanda + Mandakini) and Devprayag (Alaknanda + Bhagirathi). The Alaknanda picks up a tributary at each prayag.
Every option is a 'prayag' on the Alaknanda, so the trick is to remember which tributary joins at each. Only at Devprayag does the Bhagirathi join, and only there does the combined river formally become the Ganga — the key discriminator.
- Devprayag = confluence of Alaknanda + Bhagirathi; below it the river is the Ganga.
- Vishnuprayag = Alaknanda + Dhauliganga; Nandprayag = Alaknanda + Nandakini.
- Karnaprayag = Alaknanda + Pindar; Rudraprayag = Alaknanda + Mandakini.
- All five Panch Prayag lie in Uttarakhand along the Alaknanda.
- Mixing up which tributary joins at Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag or Vishnuprayag
- Assuming the Ganga 'begins' at Gangotri rather than at Devprayag (where it takes the name Ganga)
UPPSC/UPSC test river confluences (sangams), the Panch Prayag, and where major rivers originate or take their name.
Consider the following pairs: Wetlands — Confluence of rivers: 1. Harike Wetlands : Confluence of Beas and Satluj/Sutlej; 2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park : Confluence of Banas and Chambal; 3. Kolleru Lake : Confluence of Musi and Krishna. Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(a) 1 only — Harike Wetland lies at the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej.
Same concept — identifying a place by the two rivers whose confluence it marks.
With reference to the Himalayan rivers joining the Ganga downstream of Prayagraj from West to East, which one of the following sequences is correct?
- (a) Ghaghara — Gomati — Gandak — Kosi
- (b) Gomati — Ghaghara — Gandak — Kosi
- (c) Ghaghara — Gomati — Kosi — Gandak
- (d) Gomati — Ghaghara — Kosi — Gandak
Answer(b) Gomati — Ghaghara — Gandak — Kosi.
Same river system — the Ganga and its tributaries/confluences, here as a west-to-east sequence.
- practice — not a real PYQ
At which of the Panch Prayag does the Mandakini river join the Alaknanda?
- (a)Vishnuprayag
- (b)Nandprayag
- (c)Rudraprayag
- (d)Devprayag
Answer(c) Rudraprayag — the Alaknanda meets the Mandakini here.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The river Bhagirathi originates from which glacier?
- (a)Gangotri (Gaumukh)
- (b)Yamunotri
- (c)Satopanth
- (d)Milam
Answer(a) Gangotri glacier (Gaumukh) — the Bhagirathi's source.