বাংলা 
English 
Long ago, when Bengal was dense forest, calm rivers, and a vast land covered by mornings wrapped in white mist, there was a small kingdom on the edge of Kushtia called Himabati. The king of that kingdom was Devadatta, and the queen — Gouri.
Gouri was gentle, serene and enchanting. As much as the kingdom took pride in her beauty, she had a heart boundless in kindness, like a river.
☀️ The Curse of Drought:
One year no rain fell on the land.
The trees withered, the ponds and canals all died. Water in people's eyes, cracks in the fields, and a cruel sun in the sky.
The king prayed, performed sacrifices, summoned the priests — but the monsoon did not come.
Gouri quietly went into meditation.
In her heart she made a resolve —
If I have truly been born of pure love and sacrifice, then God will answer me. For this land I will sacrifice everything I have.
🌙 Gouri's Sacrifice:
One deep night. On the northern side of the royal palace, where the source of the Gorai river lies today, Gouri went secretly.
In the moonlight she stood like incense smoke, and the air grew still.
She folded her hands and said:
"O God, take me, but give this land a river full of affection, one that will give people life, give crops, give shelter."
She closed her eyes, and at that very moment —
Lightning flashed across the sky, thunder roared, and the earth split and water rushed out.
🌊 Birth of a river:
From that place a new river was born — thin at first, then wild, coiling like a serpent, village after village.
People woke in the morning to find — a river all around them.
No drought, no ruin, only water, and water.
📛 Naming the river "Gorai":
The people were frightened at first, but later understood — it was Gouri's gift.
But the river never goes straight — it bends, twists, winds its way along.
So the village elders said:
"This river is as soft and winding as Gouri herself — let it be named Gorai. The blessing of Gouri, who came winding along."
Gouri never returned.
But every year in the monsoon, when the Gorai bursts its banks and floods, and then falls silent in the dry season —
people say,
"Gouri returns, and disappears again."
🎭 The Significance of This Tale:
- The Gorai river here is not merely a piece of geography, but a symbol of a self-sacrificing woman's heart.
- It conveys Bengal's folk reverence, the power of women, and the intrinsic bond with nature.
- This folk tale brings out the deep connection between the power of women, love, nature and the culture of the Bengalis.
