The village of Mulang is located thirty-five kilometres off the town of Jowai. Many centuries ago, on a crisp spring morning, three beautiful maidens arrived at the village and walked up to the ramshackle hut of a poor old woman. Under the clear blue sky, their beauty and charm seemed to transform the hut into a palace.
One of the maidens was named Du. She called the old woman and asked, “Will you let us stay with you?”
Flustered by the request, the old woman replied, “Oh, but the three of you are princesses! How can I let you stay with me? This hut is worse than a cowshed! Come in and see; you’ll ruin your clothes just by sitting here.”
Then the one called Tang said, “Please just let us stay with you and treat us with love and care. We don’t need anything else – these other things won’t be a problem.” Hearing this, the old woman could not refuse and welcomed the guests into her house.
The three girls started living with the old woman. At first, they were only meant to stay for a few days. But then, a few months went by, and they continued living there. They grew very close to the old woman as if they were her own daughters. “Don’t leave me,” the old woman said to them. “Leave only after I am dead.”
The maidens would not let the old woman do any work. They took all the responsibility upon themselves. They thought of her as their mother and called her “Ma” even in front of others.
Anyone who saw the three maidens instantly fell in love with them. Many rich men wanted to marry them, but none of the girls showed interest. Unable to win their hearts, the suitors soon went their way.
Surrounded by her three daughters, the old woman spent her days happily. One day, when the villagers had gathered around the bonfire and stories were being shared, the maiden named Rem said to the old woman, “Ma, today, we’ll tell you all about ourselves. The three of us are sisters, but we are not princesses. We are devakanyas, the daughters of gods. Our father, Swargashil, is the heaven above, and our mother, Bijli, is the lightning you see in the skies. We three sisters were sent to earth for a special purpose. This land of yours is indeed magnificent. We want to help in some way – gift you something that will bear fruit and provide sustenance for generations to come.” Saying so, the three sisters vanished into thin air.
The villagers gasped in surprise as the land beneath their feet split in three places. Water spilt out, leading to the birth of three rivers – Myntdu, Myntang and Umiurem. These three rivers originate near the town of Jowai. The river called Myntdu circles Jowai and creates a small valley. Then, travelling southwards, it flows into a larger river. Myntang travels northwards and nourishes the villages of Nongbah, Mukhla, Wahiajer, Nartiang and a few other hamlets. Umiurem travels eastwards and nurtures the village of Shangpung.
Over time, habitation grew along the course of these three rivers as its waters irrigated the fields and valleys.
The old woman missed her fairy daughters, but they ensured she had a bountiful harvest and that all her needs were taken care of. The little hut was truly transformed into a mansion. To this day, the locals worship the three rivers as life-givers.
Excerpted with permission from ‘Ka Du, Ka Tang and Ka Rem’ in Folk Tales from Meghalaya, Sobhona Bhattacharjee, translated from the Bengali by Utsa Bose, Puffin India.
