Devprayag

The road here takes about two hours from Rishikesh. You'll be treated to a scenic mountain route with waterfalls, green hills and fantastic views. For many, it's a real pleasure to ride there and back on a bike.

The name translates as "Divine Confluence" (Dev: god, Prayag: place where rivers meet), and that's no exaggeration. It's here that two mighty rivers, the Alaknanda (water from Badrinath and Tibet) and the Bhagirathi (water from Gangotri), merge, forming the sacred Ganges.

According to legend, King Bhagiratha performed severe asceticism to bring the Ganges from the heavens and purify the souls of his ancestors. It was in Devprayag that his efforts were crowned with success.

And there's also an unusual and fascinating place here: Central Sanskrit University. It's one of India's leading universities, where Sanskrit, Vedic literature, philosophy, rituals and ancient sciences are studied. The campus is nestled in greenery at the foot of the hills; on one side the Ganges rushes by, on the other a Sanskrit sign is rusting. In the yard, students in traditional clothes sit on the floor with notebooks, some recite shlokas, and someone, barefoot, is fixing a bicycle. There's something special about the atmosphere here.

The birthplace of the Ganges