Rudraprayag Temple
The Rudraprayag temple also known as the ‘Rudranath’ temple is the major tourist attraction spot of Rudraprayag. All the shiva devotees visit this temple to see lord shiva in his magnificent rudra avatar in between of the intersection of the rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. This temple has been standing since thousands of years but during the flood that struck in 2013 it almost got submerged in water and the town experienced a major loss of life but since then the Uttarakhand government has issued necessary steps in order to issue safety to the pilgrims and devotees
- All weather roads have been constructed so there is no issue in travelling
- Major checkpoints have been made in the map to ensure that even if a calamity were to strike people would have a place to seek refuge
- Metrological department keeps a tight watch on the rainfall and water levels of the rivers so that in the case of emergency people can be prewarned
MYTHOLOGICAL STORY BEHIND THE RUDRAPRAYAG TEMPLE
According to the legend Narad muni sat here in Rudraprayag singing hymns in the name of lord shiva and his mesmerizing singing caught the attention of lord shiva.
Pleased by Narad’s devotion Lord shiva decided to come down to earth in an avatar and so he did in the form of ‘Rudra’. Lord shiva came and gave his blessings to Narad and gave him the Vardan of singing. The Rudra temple marks this event and the idols of lord shiva giving his blessing and Narad on his knees can be seen inside the temple.
THINGS TO DO IN RUDRAPRAYAG TEMPLE
If you are a lord shiva devotee this place is a must visit for you since the temple displays magnificent art of architecture and sculpture. The atmosphere of the temple is spirit cleansing and if you are a true devotee who knows lord shiva might actually come to bless you.
The Rudraprayg Temple is famous for it’s sangam arti. Every dawn and dusk ganga arti is sung at the sangam, a true spectacle to watch if you are keen of sightseeing. Tourist from all over the globe come to watch the ganga arti at all the five sangams Rudraprayag being one of them.
SOME CAUTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
- If you are planning to visit the river side bring a pair of flipflops because they are mor convenient than shoes while you are on the banks
- Don’t ignore the metrological warnings about rainfall and the rise in the levels of river water
- Usually tourists bring stuff to eat or drink while sitting at the riverside be a responsible tourist and take whatever you brought with you and not litter the place. There is a heavy fine on doing so and it is our responsibility to keep the tourist places we visit clean so that the people visiting after us can enjoy the same experience as us
HOW TO REACH RUDRAPRAYAG TEMPLE
BY AIR: The nearest airport to the Rudraprayag district is Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun.
BY ROAD: Rudraprayag is easily accessible from all the major highways connected to the Badrinath highway route
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Although the Rudraprayg Temple is accessible throughout the year and does not depend on the yatra time monsoon season is a bit inconvenient time to visit.
