Badrinath, a holy town in Uttarakhand, is situated on the banks of the Alaknanda River.
The Alaknanda is one of the two primary headstreams of the Ganga River, the other being the Bhagirathi.
The Ganga River officially begins downstream at Devprayag, where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers merge.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
Option A: While the Alaknanda is a headstream of the Ganga, the town of Badrinath is located on the Alaknanda itself, upstream from the confluence where the Ganga is formed.
Option B: The Kshipra river flows through the state of Madhya Pradesh, far from Uttarakhand where Badrinath is located.
Option C: The Saryu river flows through the state of Uttar Pradesh, and is not geographically close to Badrinath.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Geography of major rivers and pilgrimage sites in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the geography of India, including its major rivers and pilgrimage sites, is a common component of the general knowledge section in competitive exams for nursing and other fields.
The Ganga river system is crucial to the environmental, cultural, and economic life of North India, supporting millions of people.
What if? If the question had asked about Kedarnath, another major pilgrimage site, the correct river would be the Mandakini River, which is a tributary of the Alaknanda.
How to Approach the Question
First, identify the key elements of the question: the place 'Badrinath' and the geographical feature 'river'.
This is a factual recall question from Indian geography. Access your knowledge about major pilgrimage sites.
Recall that Badrinath is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites located high in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand.
Associate Badrinath with the Alaknanda river. Differentiate it from the Ganga, which is formed later downstream at Devprayag.
Eliminate the other options by recalling their associated cities and states: Kshipra with Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and Saryu with Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh).
Concept Tested & Keywords
Concept Tested: Geography of major rivers and pilgrimage sites in India.
Stem keywords: Badrinath, located, river
Lead-in keywords: which
Question ID
Qx_MLn-IjhBUjTiwHc056S
Practise the full HPSSC Staff Nurse - 2021
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.