अलकनंदा नदी
[[chitr:Devprayag-Bhagirathi-River.jpg|thumb|250px|alakananda aur bhagirathi ka sangam devaprayag, uttarakhand
Meeting Point Of Alaknanda And Bhagirathi, Devprayag, Uttarakhand]]
alakananda nadi kailas aur badrinath ke nikat bahane vali ganga nadi ki ek shakha hai. yah ganga ke char namoan mean se ek hai. char dhamoan mean ganga ke kee roop aur nam haian. gangotri mean ganga ko bhagirathi ke nam se jana jata hai, kedaranath mean mandakini aur badrinath mean alakananda ke nam se jana jata hai. yah uttarakhand mean 'shatapath' aur 'bhagirath kh dak' namak himanadoan se nikalati hai. yah sthan gangotri kahalata hai. kalidas ne meghadoot mean jis alakapuri ka varnan kiya hai vah kailas parvat ke nikat alakannada ke tat par hi basi hogi jaisa ki nam-samy se prakat bhi hota hai. kalidas ne alaka ki sthiti ganga ki godi mean mani hai aur ganga se yahaan alakananda ka hi nirdesh mana ja sakata hai. sanbhavat: prachin kal mean pauranik paranpara mean alakananda ko hi ganga ka moolasrot mana jata tha kyoanki ganga ko svarg se girane ke pashchat sarvapratham shiv ne apani alakoan arthath jatajoot mean baandh liya tha jisake karan nadi ko shayad alakananda kaha gaya. akashaganga nadi ki alakananda ki shakha jan p dati hai. alakananda ka varnan mahabharat van parv ke aantargat tirthayatra prasang mean hai jahaan ise bhagirathi nam se bhi abhihit kiya gaya hai aur isaka udgam badarikashram ke nikat hi bataya gaya hai.[1] yah bhagirathi alakananda hi hai kyoanki nar narayan - ashram alakananda ke tat par hi hai. vastav mean mahabharat ne is sthan par ganga ki donoan shakhaoan-
- bhagirathi jo gangotri se sidhi devaprayag ati hai aur
- alakananda jo kailas aur badarikashram hoti huee devaprayag mean akar bhagirathi se mil jati hai- ko abhinn hi mana hai.
vishnu puran[2] mean bhi alakananda ka ullekh hai- 'tathaivalakanandapi dakshinenaityabharatamh'. alakananda aur nanda ke sangam par nandaprayas sthit hai.
sahayak nadiyaan
alakananda ki paanch sahayak nadiyaan haian jo gadhaval kshetr mean 5 alag alag sthanoan par alakananda se milakar 'panch prayag' banati haian. ye haian-
- vishnu prayag jahaan dhauli ganga alakananda se milati hai.
- nand prayag jahaan nanda nadi alakananda se milati hai.
- karn prayag jahaan piandari alakananda se milati hai.
- rudr prayag jahaan mandakini alakananda se milati hai.
- dev prayag jahaan bhagirathi alakananda se milati hai.
gaharaee
alakananda nadi kahian bahut gahari, to kahian uthali hai. nadi ki ausat gaharaee 5 phut (1.3 mitar), aur adhikatam gaharaee 14 phit (4.4 mitar) hai.