One of the Five Holy Panch Prayags of Uttarakhand – Ancient Ghat, Gopalji Temple & Serene River Setting
Nandprayag is one of the five sacred Panch Prayags of the Garhwal Himalaya, located about 21 km from Karnaprayag in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand at an elevation of 914m. It marks the confluence of the Nandakini River — flowing down from the Nanda Ghunti and Trishul massif — with the Alaknanda River. The Prayag is named after the legendary King Nanda, father of Lord Krishna, who is said to have performed penances here. The confluence ghat is a sacred bathing site where pilgrims take a holy dip to wash away sins and perform ancestral rituals (shraadh).
The Nandprayag sangam is particularly scenic — the milky-white waters of the Nandakini merge with the blue-green Alaknanda creating a beautiful visual contrast. A revered ancient temple dedicated to Lord Gopalji (Vishnu) stands near the ghat and is believed to be one of the shrines established by Adi Shankaracharya during his Himalayan pilgrimage. A smaller Shiva shrine also stands at the sangam. Nandprayag lies on the Char Dham Yatra route (Badrinath road) and is a natural pilgrimage stopover. The small market town of Nandprayag has basic accommodation and eateries for pilgrims.
Year-round. May to June and September to November during Char Dham season. Monsoon (July–August) sees swollen rivers which is visually dramatic but landslide risk on roads increases.
Nearest railway: Rishikesh (191 km). Bus or taxi to Karnaprayag then 21 km to Nandprayag.
Direct buses from Rishikesh and Haridwar to Nandprayag via Karnaprayag on NH7.
Rishikesh to Nandprayag ~191 km via Devprayag–Srinagar–Karnaprayag on NH7.