Madho singh Bhandari, also called as Madho singh “Maletha”, was born around 1595 in village Maletha of Tehri district. He was from a well known family. His father,warrior Sonban Kalo Bhandari, was from Lakhanpuri. He was famous for his bravery in that region.Then Garhwal king was so impressed with his bravery and intelligence that he has given Sonban a big estate as a gift. Madho singh was also brave like his father. Maletha village is located on Rishikesh-Shrinagar road between Devprayag and Kirtinagar.
Maletha village was very dry at that time. Villagers used to grew some coarse millet like Jhangora.
Madho Singh joined the royal court in Srinagar at a young age and rose to the rank of general in King’s army.Madho Singh Bhandari was the commander-in-chief of Mahipat Shah, the king of Garhwal (1629-1646). As a brave soldier he built great forts and led his army to different region to expand his area.
Once when he visited his village and his son was growing into a young man he could not get the fine food and vegetables which he used to get in royal court. The poverty of Maletha was unbearable yet he got angry with his wife and asked for good food.His wife showed him the dry and empty fields where no vegetable or grain was there due to shortage of water.Seeing this, Madho Singh got restless and he vowed that he would bring the water into the fields.
The nearest water point from the village was Chandrbhaga river but there were hard rock mountains in between. Madho Singh had to burrow through that mountain to draw the water from the stream. He thus organized the villagers with the priests’ blessings, and began excavating tunnel. For months they laboured and made a tunnel. The length of the canal is about two kms and it has been constructed from Takoli Gad to Maletha. This is carved out in hard rock. The upper part of tunnel is made using big stones secured using iron nails so that even natural calamity can not destroy the tunnel.
Madho singh had to sacrifice his son for this canal. The folk story of that region tells that when the tunnel was fully ready all efforts were made to curve the motion of Chandrabhaga river but they could not succeed even after many alteration in design and many worships to local goddess. Maletha remained dry.One night the Goddess appeared in Madho’s dream and asked him to sacrifice his son, she said, only then will the water flow to Maletha. He sacrificed his son, Gaje singh to propitiate the goddess to facilitate the construction of canal. The young man was sacrificed and his head was placed at the mouth of the tunnel. The water flowed through and carried the severed head on its powerful waves and placed it on a field. Soon Madho was summoned back to duty. With a heavy heart he left his home, never to return.
This is the story that is told and retold during the traditional harvest time in Uttarakhand, commemorating both Madho Singh’s exploits and sacrifice for the fertility and prosperity of his home village.Today Maletha is green and fertile, abundant and prosperous, and its people remember their hero with pride and yes that canal still functions even after nearly 400 years.
Some times back a VCD film was produced under the banner of Parvatiya Films by Beer Singh Thakur. The name of the film was ‘Maletha Ki Kool’ and it was based on the script of renowned cultural activist of Uttarakhand, Shri Jeet Singh Negi. Music director of the film was Shri Bhagwati Prasad Pokhriyal and Roshan Dhasmana and Jagriti Dhobal performed the lead roles under the direction of Shri Balraj Negi. Above the cover of that VCD.
One song clip and intro from that movie courtesy Rajiv Rawat.
Dear sir,
I would like to inform u this one is very great work for live of uttarakhand culture.
The folks songs and Teetotalers says makes us to believe on such a great personality who has done one of greatest never ending work for humanity. This work of Great Madho Singh Will be remembered for centuries.
Bht badhiya sir..
Kudos
pranam beh bainu..the story you have told or retold does not match to the one i have heard from my elders..in this story madho singh sacrifices his son insted of a red cow or his nephew beacuse the place where his sister was married was dry. his sister asks him top get them water supply and he promises her to do so. he creates a tunnel himself(without any help)….for more information please contact ..my emailis pawan.singh6869@yahoo.com
The story written here is true and appreciable. We should not forget the effort made by Madho Singh…..
Making this site is really a big job done, making the world know about the Uttranchal and it's culture.
Madho singh bhandari was great warrior who sacrifice even his son for social upliftment.
Our Uttarakhand has a tradition to produce brave soldiers and good human being to service the country.
Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Amar Rahein. Jai Uttrakahnd. Jai Hind. Birendra Singh Bisht
BHADO ME BHAD VEER MADHO SINGH BHNDARI TERI JAY JAY KAR, APP K TYAG NE HI MALETHA KO PURE GARHWL ME SAMMAN DIYA HAI. JO SADA HUM SE JUDA RAHEGA
Madho Singh will be remembered for many years to come. He will be revered by the people for his bravery and the sacrifice made by him for society.
Well the story has a ring to it, but don’t be misguided with the delusion that goddess appeared and asked for his son’s sacrifice, obviously no god would ask to justify one act of innocent murder with the well being of others. Instead the son was accidentally killed during the pebble slide occurred during the building of the tunnel as he was one of the labor. No doubt Madho singh was a brave man with good aspirations but he didn’t deliberately sacrificed his son for such act.
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