Gandhari

Gandhari is a character from Mahabharatha. She is the wife of King Dritharashtra and mother of 100 kauravas including Duryodhana, Dushasana.

She was daughter of Gandhara king Suvala and sister of Sakuni.  When Bheeshma came to ask the had of Gandhari for his grand son Dhritharashtra, Suvala hesitated because the groom was blind. Then he accepted the offer looking at the riches and lineage of Kuru kings.
When Gandhari came to know that she will marry blind Dhritharastra, she blind folded her eyes. Some say it is out of respect for Dhritharashtra and some say as a protest.

When she was pregnant, she heard the news that Kunti, the wife of Pandu has given birth to son. She was so jealous that Kunti's son will inherit the kingdoom and  she squeezed her stomach and her fetus broke into hundred and one pieces and fell on ground.  Vyasa who heard the news, came and  told her to keep these pieces in pots filled with ghee. These eventually developed into hundred sons and a daughter Dushyala.
As the sons - kauravas grew up, she realized that her sons were not on the righteous path. She tried to stop them but in vain.
And during Mahabharatha war, she called her son Duryodhana and told him to appear in front of her unclothed and she will open her blindfold and look at his body and her look will make his body as strong as steel. But out of modesty he wears a loin cloth and appears in front of her.  Her look made his body steel like except where he was clothed.
Krishna knew this secret and during the final battle between Bheema and Duryodhana, he told Bhima to attack the Duryodhana on his thighs and Duryodhana was killed.
Gandhari last all her hundred sons in the Mahabharatha war. Enraged she cursed Krishna that even his clan will be destroyed completely and they will die fighting among themselves (yadavi kalaha)

Bhageeratha

Bhageeratha
He was a Kosala king. He brought river Ganga flowing in Heaven (Swarga) to earth. He prayed for thousands of years and faced many hurdles, but still did not give up. So anyone who tries to do a work  in spite of of the hurdles is said to be doing Bhageeratha prayatna
Since Ganga was brought to earth by Bhageeratha, the river is also called Bhageerathi


Background
King Sagara of Kosala was performing Ashwamedha yajna. The ceremonial horse went to Kapila's hermitage. Sixty thousand sons of Sagara who were following the the horse, angered the sage. He cursed them and all of them turned to ashes, a huge mountain of ashes.
Sagara's grandson Anshuman  was told by Kapila that if Ganga flows over the ashes, they will get mukti. But to bring Ganga to earth required many years of Tapasya. When Bhageeratha became king, he did tapas for Brahma for thousand years and when Brahma appeared before him, he asked for bringing Ganga to earth. Brahma agreed. And Ganga started flowing on earth.
But entire towns and villages and forests were flooded by Ganga. Then Bhageeratha prayed to Shiva for help. Shiva caught Ganga in his Locks. Then he let her flow in smaller stream.
Bhageeratha led Ganga. Now the river flooded rishi Jahnu's house and fields and washed them away. Angry Jahnu, swallowed the entire river. But the gods prayed to Jahnu to release Ganga. He yielded and released her from his ear. Hence the name Jahnavi to the river