Myths and legends

Dudh-Kosi (literally “Milk River”) is one of the seven Kosi rivers that together form the Sapt Kosi River (or simply Kosi), the main tributary of the Ganges. This is one of the highest-altitude and most difficult rivers in the world. Rafting along Dudh Kosi is considered one of the most difficult on the planet due to the difference of the river 70 meters per 1 kilometer and numerous dangerous rapids.

According to legend, the demon invited the daughter of Shiva, the beautiful Kosi, to marry him. She agreed, but on the condition that the wedding be in the morning on the highest mountain in the Himalayas. The demon carried her all night and Kosi realized that he would really have time to climb to the top by the morning. Then she asked her father for help. Shiva turned into a rooster and began to crow. The demon, having heard a cock cry, decided that he had lost, and disappeared, leaving Kosi in the mountains. Left alone, the wayward Kosi went wherever she looked.

Since then, women on the banks of the river have been praying that Kosi will bring them more fertile silt to their fields. But if the river floods their homes, then the peasants bring turmeric to the river, which is a symbol of the wedding. Kosi, who prefers to remain unmarried, leaves at the sight of turmeric.

It is also said that Kosi is the embodiment of the warrior goddess Durg, who defeated the powerful demon Durg. And this explains the cruel nature of the river during the rainy season.