a town of Northern Hindustan, in the native state of Gurwhal, situated at the junction of the Bhagarathi and Alaknanda rivers, the union of which forms that part of the Ganges held most sacred by the Hindus, who believe that bathing in its waters will purify them from all their sins. This is one of the five principal prayags, or holy points where two rivers meet, mentioned in the Shastras, and is considered as peculiarly sacred. The town stands on a spur of the mountain, about a hundred feet above the water. It contains only 250 houses, which are built of stone, two stories high, and covered with shingles. In the upper part of the town stands the celebrated temple of Rama-chandra, constructed of large blocks of cut stone, piled up without mortar to the height of sixty feet. The presiding deity is an image about six feet high, cut in black stone, the lower part of which is painted red. The town is chiefly inhabited by Brahmans of different sects, who draw rich contributions from the superstition of the pilgrims; besides which they have an estate consisting of twenty-five villages. The town and temple suffered much by an earthquake in 1803. The latter was repaired at the expense of Dowlut Rao Scindia. Long. 78. 39. E.; Lat. 30. 8. N.