Garhwal · Legend
Madho Singh Bhandari and the Malethi Canal
A general who brought water to a dry village — at the greatest price.
Madho Singh Bhandari was a famous general of the Garhwal kings, a hero of battles against Tibet. His home village, Malethi, had fertile land but no water.
Determined to bring the river to the fields, Madho Singh had a tunnel dug through the mountain ridge. But when it was finished, the water would not flow.
Legend says the goddess appeared in a dream and asked for a sacrifice. Madho Singh's only son, Gajey Singh, offered himself. The water flowed, and Malethi's fields turned green.
The Malethi 'kool' (irrigation channel) is still remembered as one of the earliest engineering feats of the hills. Folk tradition also links Garhwal's late Diwali, Egaas Bagwal, to the day news of Madho Singh's victorious return reached home.
Sacrifice for the common good — and how deeply the hills value water.
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