GUW
606
ing south of Colonelganj in this pargana, joins the Gogra at Paska. Its depth is not great at any place except near Sakatpur, about 12 miles from the junction with the Gogra, but in the rains a considerable rise takes The banks of the river are ,place without however shifting the river bed. free from miinjha and produce neither cane or narkul although both grow along the banks of the Tirhi.
which lie within this pargana are Bardalia, Ghdt, Karhanapur, Eajghat, Bhauriganj and Dewra Ghat. Of these the most important is that at Katra through which there is extensive traffic. Katra town is itself noted for the skill of its calico and cotton printers.
The
chief ghats of the Sarju
Bhawaniganj, Katra,
Nawa
The Tirhi rises at Chittaur Tal in the Bahraich district, passes (3). along the north-east of this pargana and falls into the Gogra at Nawa Ghfit south of Nawahganj. The fords by which traffic passes into Guwdrich and from
it
across this river, are
Lachhmanpur, Bdchi Ghat
(so
called
because when Gonda was a military station the cantonment bntchers lived This river becomes greatly here) Kataha Ghat, and Gondawa Ghat. swollen in the rains and is apt to shift its course.
The only other streams deserving notice are (1) the Chandaha ndla, which the Khajhuha Tal near Katara Gharera and after a course of 30 miles joins the Tirhi at Nagdahi in pargana Digsar, and (2) the Karai rises at
nadi,
which separates from the Bhakma n^la near Jarwal in the Bahraich through pargana Guwarich, and joins the Gogra at Atarsnia.
district, flows
Both the Tirhi and Sarju abound in fish, especially rohu, parhin, rai, kianchari, naini, bhakur, slir, kund^ri, tengan, moe, chilawa, jhingua, and bamla. These are all edible, and the native population spear the larger kinds, rohu, tengan and others, in the month of Kdrtik by moonlight. This is an accomplishment in which they have much skill. The practice is called dori and may be witnessed at Bhauriganj and Katara Ghat.
—
Origin of name. Tradition connects the origin of the name Guwdrich with the Pandava princes. Yudhishthir is said to have staked his kingdom on the throw of a die with Duryodhan and to have lost. The former retired with his four brothers and the lady Draupadi to pass the time of their retirement, a decade or dozen of years, as it is indifferently stated, in the dominions of Kaja Bairat of Bhotawal, near the confines of Gorakhpur and Naipdl. The sweets of sovereignty induced Duryodhan when the term of his rule was about to expire, to send forth messengers to slay the five For this end there was need of stratagem as the princes had brothers. been bound by vow to remain incogniti until the expiration of their period of exile. To compel them to disclose their character within the period and thus break their vow would have effected Duryodhan's object as well as their death, as it would have involved by the terms of their sacred compact, the forfeiture of their kingdom for ever to Duryodhan.
Now, the prince Bhim was a
lover of kine and, as a strict Hindu, bound
to protect such animals from molestation.
So the wily Duryodhan
sent
