A long time ago, long before the British ruled these lands, our coastal villages used to be frequently raided by Portugese pirates. One such village was Godkhali (গদখালী) in the Jessore region.
It was said that Modalosha, the daughter of the village-head of Godkhali, was the most beautiful woman of the region. Hearts would skip a beat, and time would seem to come to a standstill for anyone who laid eyes on her. Her father, spared no expense and lavishly decorated their house to match Modalosha's exceptional beauty. But one horrible night, screams and bloodshed stained the walls of the village-head's residence.
A band of Portugese pirates had raided the village. Their swords sliced through the villagers as they continue to plunder their belonging. People ran for their lives, but Modalosha stood her ground in her own home. When the leader of the pirates, Rodrigo, reached the gates of her residence, she boldly stood in front and stared him down. Her eyes glowing with a fiery rage of disgust. How could these savages kill innocent people for a few pennies? Rodrigo's bloodlust disappared the moment he laid eyes on Modalosha. In an instant, a feeling of serenity overcame him. His mind took a step back and gasped at the realization of man's lifespan compared to all of eternity. Is it worth spending our short-lives causing so much pain and destruction? Rodrigo lowered his sword and asked his men to stand down. The pirates were dumbfounded but didn't question their leader. They retreated back to their ship to rest for the night. But on that moonlit night, Modalosha was all Rodrigo could think about. He spent his whole life plundering villages and amassing wealth. But all of that felt worthless in front of Modalosha. He would give up everything for her and yet still he would feel content. The next morning, when the Portugese pirate ship set sail for another village, Rodrigo slipped off the ship in secret and stayed back in the forest. Perhaps Modalosha would never be able to love a man who has so much blood on his hands. But, at least in this forest, he would be able to stay close to her and steal the occasional glance.
Years after that dreadful night, a new threat appeared to remind the villagers that nobody is truly safe from the seas and forests of Bengal. A tiger was rumored to have tasted human flesh and become an "Adomkhor" - a state in which the animal develops an insatiatable lust for human blood. Day after day, people kept disappearing into the forest, never to be seen again. The village-head announced a reward to any one who could slay the beast. Word eventually reached the ears of Rodrigo, now an unrecognizable hermit living in a makeshift hut in the forest. After years of surviving on his own, it didn't take long for Rodrigo to track down the tiger's whereabouts. His heart raced at the sight of the powerful beast, but he wouldn't miss this chance of meeting Modalosha once again. He leaped forward and wrestled the beast to its death.
Later that day, Rodrigo once again appeared in front of the gate of the village-head's residence. The corpse of the tiger hung over his shoulder. A large crowd gathered around him. Modalosha's beatiful eyes were the last thing Rodrigo remembered before collapsing from his injuries. As per the village-head's instructions, Modalosha nursed him back to health. And just like a fairytale, Rodrigo and Modalosha fell in love, and got married. But unlike a fairytale, they did not get to live happily ever after. One day, Modalosha fell ill to an terrible disease. Rodrigo heard of a potion-maker in a faraway village and ran off to fetch the cure. But before he could get back, word reached his ears that his beloved was no more. He stood dumbstruck over Modaloasha's lifeless body. He looked up at the sky and begged for any creator to show mercy. He didn't care who answered back, whether it was his own Christian God, or Modalosha's Hindu Goddess Kaali. He embraced his beloved wife's body and kept crying out, O God, O Kaali. Rodrigo's hearbreaking pleas remained etched in the minds of the villagers for years to come. A shrine was built in memory of these two lovers. Half of the shrine was dedicated to God, and the other half to Kaali.
The locals gave it the name God-Kaali Mondir and that is how the village of Godkhali (গদখালী) got its name.