''Heer Ranjha'' (or ''Heer and Ranjha'') ( pnb, , ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ) is one of several popular tragic romances of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

, other important ones being "

Sohni Mahiwal Sohni Mahiwal or Suhni Mehar ( pa, , ਸੋਹਣੀ ਮਹੀਂਵਾਲ is one of the four popular tragic romances of Punjab including Sindh. In Sindh Sohni's shrine is in Shahdadpur Town of Sangar District. The others are Sassi Punnun, Mirz ...

", "

Mirza Sahiban ''Mirza Sahiban'' ( pa, ਮਿਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ, , ') is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. The other three are ''Heer Ranjha'', ''Sohni Mahiwal'' and ''Sassi Punnun''. There are five other popular folklor ...

" and " Sassi Punnhun". There are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being ''Heer'' by

Waris Shah Waris Shah ( pa, ; ; 1722–1798) was a Punjabi Sufi poet of the Chishti order, known for his contribution to Punjabi literature. He is primarily known as the author of ''Heer Ranjha'' . Background Waris Shah was born in Jandiala Sher Kh ...

written in 1766. It tells the story of the love between Heer Sial and Dheedo Ranjha.(Arif Jamshaid
The epic of Heer Ranjha, research paper on epic poem written by Waris Shah in 1766 on Academy of the Punjab in North America website
Retrieved 14 November 2020

History

''Heer Ranjha'' was written by many poets.

Damodar Gulati Damodar Gulati (Punjabi: ਦਮੋਦਰ ਦਾਸ ਅਰੋੜਾ, ) also known as Damodar Das Arora (1605-1656), was a Punjabi poet. He hailed from Jhang. He lived during the reign of Mughal king Akbar. He wrote the '' qissa'' '' Heer and Ranjha'' ...

, who also known as Damodar Das Arora, claims to be the eyewitness of this tale. His Qissa/story is deemed the oldest and the first Heer in Punjabi literature . He states in the poem that he is from

Jhang Jhang ( Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the 18th largest city of Pakistan by population. The histori ...

—the home of Heer, one of the poem's two main characters. 16th century poet

Shah Hussain Shah Hussain ( pa, ; ; 1538–1599), also known as Madhoo Lal Hussain, was a 16th-century Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet who is regarded as a pioneer of the Kafi form of Punjabi poetry. He lived during the ruling periods of Mughal emperors Akbar ...

also used story in his " Kafi" (poetry). Some historian said this story has came from Persia and other claimed word Heer was inspired by Greek goddess

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; grc-gre, Ἥρα, Hḗrā; grc, Ἥρη, Hḗrē, label=none in Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she ...

. Some historians say that the story was the original work of

, others say that Heer and Ranjha were real personalities who lived under the

Lodi dynasty The Lodi dynasty ( ps, لودي سلسله; fa, سلسله لودی) was an Afghan dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi when he ...

of the 15th and 16th century and that Waris Shah later utilized these personalities for his novel that he wrote in 1766. Waris Shah states that the story has a deeper meaning, referring to the unrelenting quest that man has towards God.

Plot

Heer (Izzat bibi) was an extremely beautiful woman, born into a wealthy Muslim family of Sial

Jatts The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...

and Dheedo Ranjha of the Ranjha tribe of Jatts, is the youngest of four brothers and lives in the village of

Takht Hazara Takhat Hazara (Old Name Khajjiyan Wala) is a town (Village) Near River Chanab. (Distance 2 km) in the Sargodha District of Punjab, Pakistan. When the Mughal King came to this place, he liked to stay here. His throne was set here. This place h ...

by the river

Chenab The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul ...

in Punjab, Pakistan. Being his father's favourite son, unlike his brothers who had to toil in the lands, he led a life of ease, playing the flute ('Wanjhli'/'

Bansuri A bansuri is an ancient side blown flute originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal like material used in Hindustani classical music. It is referred to as ''nadi'' and ''tunava'' in the ''Ri ...

'). After the death of Ranjha's father, Mauju Chaudhry, Ranjha has a quarrel with his brothers over land, and leaves home. In Waris Shah's version of the epic, Ranjha leaves home because his brothers' wives refused to give and serve him food. Eventually he arrives in Heer's village and falls in love with her. Heer's father offers Ranjha a job herding his cattle. Heer becomes mesmerized by the way Ranjha plays his flute and eventually falls in love with him. They meet each other secretly for many years until they are caught by Heer's jealous uncle, Kaido, and her parents Chuchak and Malki. Heer is forced by her family and the local priest or '

Maulvi Mawlawi ( ar, مولوي; also spelled Maulvi, Molvi, Moulavi and Mawlvi) is an Islamic religious title given to Muslim religious scholars, or ulama, preceding their names, similar to the titles Mawlānā, Mullah, or Sheikh. Mawlawi generally ...

' to marry another man named Saida Khera. Ranjha is heartbroken. He wanders the countryside alone, until eventually he meets a

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

Jogi (ascetic). After meeting

Gorakhnath Gorakhnath (also known as Goraksanath, c. early 11th century) was a Hindu yogi, saint who was the influential founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement in India He is considered one of the two notable disciples of Matsyendranath. His followe ...

, the founder of the "Kanphata" (pierced ear) sect of jogis at

Tilla Jogian Tilla Jogian (Punjabi and ur, ) is an abandoned Hindu temple and monastic complex located on the summit of the ''Tilla Jogian'' mountain in the Salt Range of Pakistan's Punjab province. The complex was the most important centre for Hindu '' jo ...

(the 'Hill of Ascetics', located 80 kilometres north of the historic town of

Bhera Bhera ( pa, ; ur, ) is a city and tehsil of Sargodha District, Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is known for wood-carved items, textiles (such as quilts and khussas), and certain desserts (such as pheonian and pateesa). The city i ...

, Sargodha District, Punjab), Ranjha becomes a jogi himself, piercing his ears and renouncing the material world. While reciting the name of the Lord, he wanders all over Punjab, eventually finding the village where Heer now lives. The two return to Heer's village, where Heer's parents agree to their marriage - though some versions of the story state that the parents' agreement is only a deception. On the wedding day, Kaido poisons her food so that the wedding will not take place, in order to punish the girl for her behaviour. Hearing this news, Ranjha rushes to aid Heer, but is too late, as she has already eaten the poison and has died. Brokenhearted once again, Ranjha eats the remaining poisoned food and dies by her side. Heer and Ranjha are buried in Heer's hometown, Jhang. Love-smitten couples and others often pay visits to their mausoleum.

Legacy and influence

''Heer Ranjha'' is part of the '' Qissa'' genre of tragic love stories, along with tales such as '' Laila Majnu'' and ''

Sassui Punnhun Sassi Punnuh or Sassui Punhun ( sd, سَسُئيِ پُنهوُن) is a love story from Punjabi, Sindhi, and Balochi folklore. The story is about a faithful lover who will endure any difficulty while seeking her beloved husband who was separated ...

''. Because its plot involves a romance opposed by family members and ends with the two lovers dying, the story is often compared to the

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

play ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

''.

In popular culture

The epic poem has been made into several feature films between 1928 and 2013. In 2013, the television serial ''

Heer Ranjha ''Heer Ranjha'' (or ''Heer and Ranjha'') ( pnb, , ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ) is one of several popular tragic romances of Punjab, other important ones being "Sohni Mahiwal", " Mirza Sahiban" and " Sassi Punnhun". There are several poetic ...

'', directed by Shahid Zahoor and produced by

Yousuf Salahuddin Yusuf ( ar, يوسف ') is a male name of Arabic origin meaning "God increases" (in piety, power and influence).From the Hebrew יהוה להוסיף ''YHWH Lhosif'' meaning "YHWH will increase/add". It is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew name ...

, aired on

PTV Home PTV Home HD is a Pakistani Free-to-air Television channel owned by the Pakistan Television Corporation. It also broadcast as a Terrestrial television Terrestrial television or over-the-air television (OTA) is a type of television broadcastin ...

. ''Heer Ranjha'' is a 2020 Indian

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

-language

period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

television series starring Amaninder Pal Singh and Sara Gurpal in the lead roles. It aired on

Zee Punjabi Zee Punjabi is an Indian free to air television channel and satellite television channel from Punjab, India. This channel is a part of Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It is of Punjabi language. It is the first-ever General Entertainment Channel ...

and is based on the folktale of Heer and Ranjha.

In music

Bally Jagpal British musician has a song dedicated to their story. ‘RANJHA’ (sad love song). The British musician

Panjabi MC Rajinder Singh Rai (Punjabi: ਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ), better known by his stage name Panjabi MC, is a British-Indian recording artist, rapper, producer and DJ. He is best known for the worldwide 2002 bhangra hit "Mundian To Bach Ke", ...

references the tale of Heer and Ranjha in his 2003 song '' Jogi''. It has been sung by various Pakistani singers, including the classical/traditional artist Ghulam Ali. The tale is mentioned in popular Bollywood songs such as "Ranjha" by Rupesh Kumar Ram from the movie ''

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

'' ,"Ranjha Ranjha" by Rekha Bhardwaj and Javed Ali from the movie ''Raavan (soundtrack), Raavan'' and "Dariya" from the movie ''Baar Baar Dekho''. The names of Heer and Ranjha have been referred in the song lyrics of "One Love: The Taj Anthem" by A.R. Rahman. Alam Lohar is renowned for reciting Heer in various styles and one of the first international folk singers to bring this story in a song format. The song ''Khaireyan De Naal'' from Shafqat Amanat Ali's debut solo album, ''Tabeer (album), Tabeer'' (2008), tells the tale of Heer Ranjha. One of the songs of 2012 Hindi film ''Jab Tak Hai Jaan'' has been named "Heer". Also, the 2018 Hindi film ''Race 3'' has a song named "Heeriye" which refers to Heer and Ranjha. In 2020, popular Indian YouTuber Bhuvan Bam wrote and sang "Heer Ranjha". The song depicts the brutal customs of society in the Indian subcontinent and has garnered more than 10 million views.

References

External links

Documentary on Heer Ranjha Kamran Saqi
Documentary Film on Heer Ranjha Produced by Kamran Saqi - Royal News
Read Online Heer Waris Shah By Peeran Dita Targarh
in Urdu language.
Complete Heer Waris Shah
in Shahmukhi language.
Qissa Heer Waris Shah
in Unicode Punjabi language. {{DEFAULTSORT:Heer Ranjha Heer Ranjha, Punjabi culture Punjabi folklore Punjabi literature Sufi literature 1766 novels Literary duos Tragedies (dramas) Indian folklore Indian literature Love stories Pakistani folklore Pakistani literature