Karnaprayag

Karnaprayag at 788 m is the third Panch Prayag, where the Pindar river — also called the Pindar Ganga, flowing down from the Pindari Glacier and the Nanda Khat range — meets the Alaknanda. The town is a significant local market centre and transport hub for Garhwal, situated at the junction of the roads leading to the Pindar and Kali valleys. According to mythology, Karna of the Mahabharata meditated and gave away his kavach (armour) here — a Uma Devi temple on the hill above the confluence marks this tradition. The confluence has two distinct bathing ghats and an active pilgrimage atmosphere.

Places to See
• Karnaprayag Confluence (Pindar Ganga meets Alaknanda — two distinct-coloured rivers merging, bathing ghats)
• Uma Devi Temple (hilltop, Karnaprayag's principal shrine, Mahabharata legend of Karna)
• Karna Deval Temple (mythology: Karna's meditation site, on the confluence bank)
• Sacred Bathing Ghats
• Local Market (main town, good for supplies — gateway to Pindar and Kali valleys)
• Badrinath Highway Junction (road to Simli and Bageshwar branches here)

Best Time
Year-round. May–June and September–October most comfortable. Karnaprayag market is a useful supply stop year-round for the Pindar glacier trek and Bageshwar road.

How to Reach
Road: Rishikesh → Rudraprayag → Karnaprayag (145 km, ~4.5 hrs) on NH-58. From Karnaprayag: road to Tharali → Lohajung (start of Roopkund and Brahmatal treks, 90 km more).

Things to Do
• Bathing and puja at the confluence
• Uma Devi Temple visit (hilltop, good views)
• Karna Deval Temple darshan
• Photography at the confluence
• Market stop for supplies

Tips
Karnaprayag is an important junction town — it's the gateway to the Roopkund, Brahmatal, and Pindari Glacier trek routes (road to Lohajung and Tharali). The Karna Deval–Uma Devi temples are worth an hour. Combine with Nandaprayag (15 km back) and Rudraprayag (35 km forward) for the full mid-prayag circuit.

The best time to visit Karnaprayag depends on the experience you seek.