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| Alakanandā | |
|---|---|
 The sediment-laden Alaknanda river flowing into Devprayag, Uttarakhand. | |
 The Himalayan headwaters of the Ganges river in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. The Alaknanda is the left bank tributary of the Ganges at Devprayag. | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| Region | Garhwal division |
| District | Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri Garhwal |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence of Satopanth Glacier and Bhagirathi Kharak Glacier |
| • location | Uttarakhand |
| • coordinates | 30°47′03″N 79°26′19″E / 30.7841°N 79.4385°E |
| • elevation | 3,880 m (12,730 ft) |
| Mouth | Ganges |
• location | Devprayag, Uttarakhand, India |
• coordinates | 30°08′43″N 78°35′52″E / 30.1453°N 78.5979°E |
• elevation | 475 m (1,558 ft) |
| Length | 195 km (121 mi) |
| Basin size | 10,882 km2 (4,202 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 439.36 m3/s (15,516 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Saraswati, Dhauliganga, Nandakini, Pindar |
| • right | Mandakini |
The Alaknanda is a turbulent Himalayan river in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and a river considered holy in Hinduism. In hydrology, the Alaknanda is considered the source stream of the Ganges on account of its greater length and discharge;[1] while, in Hindu tradition and culture, the other headstream, the Bhagirathi, is considered the source stream.
- ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 65.