Once upon a time U Lei Shyllong (deity of Shillong) had two beautiful daughters named Ka Ngot and Ka lam. They were twins and inseparable. One day they climbed the top of the Shillong Peak and gazed at the beauty of the landscape below. Ka Iam who was the more confident one of the two sisters challenged a race against her sister Ka Ngot.
The sisters decided the starting point of the race from the bottom of the Shillong Peak and the finishing line to the plains of Sylhet. So the two sisters transformed themselves into two rivers and set out on the race. Ka Ngot silently meandered her way from the bottom of the hill through smooth valleys and slowly but steadily reached her destination only to find that her sister Ka ïam had not yet reached.
Ka Ngot in her dismay panicked and curled her way and took a sharp turn in search of her sister and legend has it that this particular sight was so spectacular and breath-taking as the silvery waters of Ka Ngot was gleaming in the sunlight like a necklace that till today this curved part of the river is known as Rupatylli or a silver necklace.
Ka ïam was delayed because being adventurous she went through a rocky terrain and lost track of time. Ka ïam on reaching the destination felt humiliated because she had already announced to all that victory would be hers. So in order to hide her humiliation she divided herself into five streams, namely KaUmtong, KaTorasa, KaPasbiria, KaKumarjani and KaDuwara to finally join the mighty Surma on its voyage to the sea. This legend exemplifies the spiritual significance attached to the rivers and their personification as deities that have strong connotations of reverence and respect to them even today.
Illustration by Amrapali Das
Source: eastindiastory.com article by Dr. Rekha M Shangpliang
