Rudraprayag is a city and a municipality in Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River, the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. Kedarnath, a Hindu holy city, is located 86 km from Rudraprayag. The man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag hunted and written about by Jim Corbett lived here.
Rudraprayag district is located at 30.28°N 78.98°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 895 metres (2,936 feet).
Many of the newer buildings and particularly the Sangam (confluence) area was severely damaged in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. A footbridge over the Mandakini river and a road bridge 6 km downstream at Raitoli was washed away. The layout of the Sangam has altered significantly. The road along the Mandakini valley, leading to Kedarnath, was damaged at many points.
According to the 2011 census, the population of Rudraprayag is 9,313, of which 5,240 are males while 4,073 are females. Female Sex Ratio of Rudraprayag is 777 against a state average of 963. Moreover, the Child Sex Ratio in Rudraprayag is around 803 compared to the Uttarakhand state average of 890. The literacy rate of Rudraprayag city is 89.42%, higher than the state average of 78.82%. In Rudraprayag, male literacy is around 93.43%, while the female literacy rate is 84.24%.[2]
Hinduism is practised by 95.16% of the total population and is the major religion of Rudraprayag. Islam is practiced by 4.37% of people and is the largest minority religion. Christianity is practised by 0.29%, Sikhism by 0.02%, and Buddhism by 0.01% of the people.[2] The majority of the people in Rudraprayag speak Garhwali.
The nearest airport is the Dehradun Airport near Dehradun, located 183 km (114 mi) away.
The nearest railway station is in Rishikesh. However, Rishikesh is a small railway station not connected by fast trains. Dehradun and Haridwar railway stations, 44 km and 24 km respectively farther from Rishikesh, has train connections to most of the major cities in India and therefore is the railhead for Rudraprayag.
Rudraprayag lies on national highway NH58 that connects Delhi with Badrinath and Mana Pass in Uttarakhand near the Indo-Tibet border. Therefore, all buses and vehicles that carry pilgrims from New Delhi to Badrinath, via Haridwar and Rishikesh, in the pilgrimage season of summer months, pass through Rudraprayag on the way to Joshimath, and further north. Rishikesh is a starting point for road journeys to Rudraprayag, and regular buses operate from Rishikesh bus station to Rudraprayag. The road distance from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag is 141 km (88 mi) via Devprayag and Srinagar.