Karnaprayag

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?Karnaprayag Uttarakhand • India
Karnaprayag
Coordinates: 30°16′N 79°13′E / 30.26, 79.22
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
District(s)	Chamoli
Population	6,976 (2001)

Coordinates: 30°16′N 79°13′E / 30.26, 79.22 Karnprayag is a city and municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Karanprayag is situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda, and Pindar River.

1 Demographics
2 Geography
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Demographics

As of the 2001 India census^[1], Karanprayag had a population of 6976. Males constitute 56% of the population and females make up 44%. Karanprayag has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Geography

The Alaknanda (from right) is joined by Pindar river (from bottom) at Karanprayag

Karn Prayag is one of five sites where the confluence of rivers occurs. The five prayags are Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Karanprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag. Allahabad where the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati join, is known as Prayag, and is one of the holy places of Hindu pilgrimage. The confluence of the Pindari River, which arises from the icy Pindari glacier and the Alaknanda, occurs at Karanprayag.

At a height of 788 m (2,600 ft.), Karanprayag is believed by many to be the place where Karna, hero of the Mahabharata, was to have worshiped Saturn (Surya) or the Sun God. Nanda Devi, towering above at 7,816 m (25,634 ft.), and surrounded by an array of glittering peaks, Trishul, Drona Giri, Narad Ghunti, Mrigathuni and Maiktoli. It is the ancient temple, devoted to Uma and Karna.

It is on the way to Badrinath, on the confluence of two holy rivers Alaknanda and Pindar. It is said that Karna of Mahabharata meditated here for many years to acquire the impregnable shield, which made him a formidable warrior in the battlefield. Swami Vivekananda meditated here for eighteen days with his Guru Bhai, Guru Turianand ji and Akharanand ji. It is the sub-divisional head-quarter of district Chamoli. Roads from here go to Almora, Nainital and Jim Corbet National Park.