'नर नारायणस्थानं भागीरथ्योपशोभितम्'
Means:- This is Bhagirathi Alaknanda only because Nar Narayan - Ashram is on the banks of Alaknanda. In fact, Mahabharata at this place has two branches of Ganga -
Alaknanda, which comes to Devprayag through Kailas and Badrikashram and joins Bhagirathi - is considered integral.
The Vishnu Purana also mentions Alaknanda-
'तथैवालकनंदापि दक्षिणेनैत्यभारतम्'
Nandaprayas is located at the confluence of Alaknanda and Nanda.
Alaknanda has five tributaries that form the 'Panchprayag' at 5 different places in the Garhwal region, joining the Alaknanda.
The Alaknanda River is a branch of the Ganges River flowing near Kailas and Badrinath. This is one of the four names of Ganges. The Ganges has many forms and names in Char Dham.
Ganga is known as Bhagirathi in Gangotri.
Mandakini in Kedarnath and;
Alaknanda in Badrinath.
It originates from glaciers in Uttarakhand called 'Shatapath' and 'Bhagirath Kharak'. This place is called Gangotri.
The Alakapuri which Kalidasa has described in Meghdoot will be located on the banks of the Alaknanda near Mount Kailas as it also appears from the name.
Kalidasa has considered the position of Alka in the Ganges dock and the direction of Alaknanda can be considered here from the Ganges.
Probably in ancient times, Alaknanda was considered as the origin of the Ganges in the mythological tradition, because after the fall of the Ganges from the heavens, Shiva first tied it into his alakas, the jatajuta, due to which the river was probably called 'Alaknanda'. The Milky Way appears to be the branch of the river Alaknanda.
Alaknanda is described in the pilgrimage context under the Mahabharata Van Parva where it is also named Bhagirathi and its origin is mentioned near Badrikashram.
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