Page 16 - Seniors Today Febuary 2020
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4 Laila-Majnu law replaces it with a pot unbaked clay, which
This tragic love story of Arabic origin had Qais dissolves in water and she drowns. Mahiwal
go mad in love for Laila, so that he came to be jumps into river and drowns too, reunited with his
known a Majnu (crazy), a word that has passed beloved in death.
into common language to describe a man besotted
by a woman. Laila was forcibly married to another
man, and some versions of the story have her
die of heartbreak, and Majnu falling dead by her
grave.
7 Sassui-Punnun
A prince falls in love with Sassui, a washerman’s
daughter. He convinces her family of his love and
is married to her, but her brothers drug him and
send him back to his village. When Sassui realises
what has happened, she runs barefoot across the
desert calling his name. When a shepherd tries to
5 Heer-Ranjha take advantage of the distraught girl, she prays for
The famous Waris Shah poem has Heer and the earth to swallow her. Later, Punnun dies at the
Ranjha suffer many travails—her marriage to same spot.
another man, his wandering the countryside as
an ascetic; when they are about to be reunited, 8 Dhola-Maru
a jealous uncle gives Heer a poisoned laddoo; Prince Dhola and Princess Maru are married in
Ranjha consumes a piece of the same and dies by childhood, but when his father dies in battle, he
her side. forgets about the marriage and weds Malwani.
A group of folk singers from Maru’s hometown
remind Dhola of his first marriage. He remembers
and overcoming all hurdles, gets back with Maru,
in one of the few love stories from folklore that
have a happy ending.
9 Jesal-Toral
This folk tale from Gujarat tells of the love of a
pious woman Toral, who reforms bandit Jesal.
Their shrines are in Anjar (Kutch) and are believed
to move closer every year; locals say that when
they come together, the world will end.
6 Sohni-Mahiwal 10 Mirza-Sahiban
Like many love stories, social differences come in The family of Sahiban opposed her romance with
the way of the love between Sohni and Mahiwal. Mirza and fixed her marriage to another. On the
She is married to another, but keeps meeting day of the wedding she eloped with Mirza. The
Mahiwal by swimming across the river using enraged bridegroom and her brothers rode after
an inverted earthen pot. One night her sister-in- them in pursuit. When the two stopped to rest
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