The Alaknanda is a tributary of Ganga. It arises from the Satopanth glacier in Uttarakhand, and merges with the Bhagirathi river near Deoprayag after flowing for around 200 km. Following this merging, the river is then known as the Ganga. The Alaknanda contributes a significantly larger fraction to the flow of the Ganga. In mythology, the Alaknanda is believed to have split off from the celestial Ganga when it landed from heaven. The Hindu pilgrimage centre of Badrinath lies along the banks of the Alaknanda river.

The origin of Alakananda River, Alka Puri, is of special interest to the daring tourists. Satopanth, a triangular lake, is located at a height of 4402 meters above the sea level and is one of the sources of the Alakananda River. It is named after the Hindu trinity: Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva.