Heer Ranjah

Punjabis love and hate with extreme emotion. That fact is known to  Punjabis who understand the psyche of Punjabis. Yet due to social and  socio-cultural and religious barriers people who love beyond these  barriers end up giving up and thus the course of nature is obstructed.  Despite all the barriers there have been many people who lost it all in  love and they even gave up their lives. We do not suggest anyone to do  that in today's fake,false and socially correct world but if you love  someone be faithful and true to your love and your promises. Never break  your vows and promises. Love is a spiritual union and not physical.

All  these legends you read or hear became legends because of their  spiritual purity. In today's world that purity is not there anymore and  if there is in some good souls, the social system bulldozes all hopes.

Waris  Shah’s composition, the love story of Heer Ranjha is the story of the  young man and a young women, which did not receive the sanction of  society in the shape of marriage, a major theme of literature, music,  dance and drama not only in Punjab, but everywhere in the world.

It  is believed that the poem of Heer and Ranjha had a happy ending but   Waris Shah gave it the sad ending described above, thereby giving it the   legendary status it now enjoys. It is argued by Waris Shah in the   beginning of his version that the story of Heer and Ranjha has a deeper   connotation - the relentless quest of man (humans) for God.

The  story prformed in the form of an opera as well as a ballet is very  typical. Heer was the daughter of a feudal landlord Chuchak Sial from  Jhang. Before her sacrifice for Ranjha, she proved herself to be a very  courageous and daring young girl. It is said that Sardar (Chief) Noora  from the Sambal community, had a really beautiful boat made and  appointed a boatman called Luddan. Noora was very ruthless with his  employees. Due to the ill treatment one day Luddan ran away with the  boat and begged Heer for refuge. Heer gave him moral support as well as  shelter.

Sardar Noora was enraged at this incident. He summoned  his friends and set off to catch Luddan. Heer collected an army of her  friends and confronted Sardar Noora and defeated him. When Heer’s  brothers learnt of this incident they told her,"If a mishap had befallen  you why didn’t you send for us?" To which Heer replied," What was the  need to send for all of you? Emperor Akbar had not attacked us."

It  is the same Heer who, when she is in love with Ranjha, sacrifices her  life for him and says, " Saying Ranjha, Ranjha all time I myself have  become Ranjha.

No one should call me Heer, call me Dheedho Ranjha."

When  Heer’s parents arranged her marriage much against her wishes, with a  member of the house of Khaidon, it is Heer who plucks up courage during  the wedding ceremony and reprimands the Kazi (priest)." Kazi, I was  married in the presence of Nabi (Prophet). When did God give you the  authority to perform my marriage ceremony again and annul my first  marriage? The tragedy is that people like you are easily bribed to sell  their faith and religion. But I will keep my promise till I go to the  grave."

Heer is forcibly married to Khaidon but she cannot forget  Ranjha. She sends a message to him. He comes in the garb of a jogi  (ascetic) and takes her away. When Heer’s parents hear about the  elopement they repent and send for both of them promising t get Heer  married to Ranjha. But Heer’s uncle Khaidon betrays them and poisons  Heer.

In this love tale Heer and Ranjha do not have the good  fortune of making a home. But in the folklore sung by the ladies, Heer  and Ranjha always enjoyed a happy married life.

It was Heer’s  strong conviction, which has placed this tragic romantic tale on the  prestigious pedestal along with Punjab’s religious poetry.

There  are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being  'Heer' by Waris Shah written in 1766. It tells the story of the love of  Heer and her lover Ranjha. Well-known poetic narrations have also been  written by Damodar Das Arora, Mukbaz and Ahmed Gujjar, among others

(The Legends of the Panjab by RC Temple, Rupa and Company, Volume two, page 606) Rag Hir Ranjha

Awal-akhir naam Allah da lena, duja dos Muhammad Miran

Tija naun mat pita da lena, unha da chunga dudh sariran

Chautha naun an pani da lena, jis khave man banhe dhiran

Panjman naun Dharti Mata da lena, jis par kadam takiman

Chhewan naun Khwaja Pir da lena, jhul pilave thande niran

Satwan naun Guru Gorakhnath de lena , patal puje bhojan

Athwan naun lalanwale da lena, bande bande de tabaq janjiran

Firstly and lastly, take the name of God; secondly, of the Great Muhammad, the friend (of God)

Thirdly, take the name of father and mother, on whose milk my body throve

Fourthly, take the name of bread and water, from eating which my heart is gladdened

Fifthly, take the name of Mother Earth, on whom I place my feet.

Sixthly, take the name of Khwaja (Khazir, the Saint), that gives me cold water to drink

Seventhly, take the name of Guru Gorakh Nath whom is worshiped with a platter of milk and rice

Eighthly, take the name of Lalanwala that breaketh the bonds and the chains of the captives

& Heer  is an extremely beautiful woman, born into a wealthy Jat & family of the  Sayyal clan in Jhang, Punjab (Pakistan)). Ranjha (whose first name is  Dheedo; Ranjha is the surname), also a Jat & of the Ranjha clan, is the  youngest of four brothers and lives in the village 'Takht Hazara' by the  river Chenab. Being his father's favorite son, unlike his brothers who  had to toil in the lands, he led a life of ease playing the flute  ('Wanjhli'/'Bansuri'). After a quarrel with his brothers over land,  Ranjha leaves home. In Waris Shah's version of the epic, it is said that  Ranjha left his home because his brothers' wives refused to give him  food. Eventually he arrives in Heer's village and falls in love with  her. Heer offers Ranjha a job as caretaker of her father's cattle. She  becomes mesmerised 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  'mullah' to marry another man called Saida Khera.

Ranjha is  heartbroken. He wanders the countrtyside alone, until eventually he  meets a 'jogi' (ascetic). After meeting Baba Gorakhnath, the founder of  the "Kanphata"(pierced ear) sect of jogis, at 'Tilla Jogian' (the 'Hill  of Ascetics', located 50 miles north of the historic town of Bhera,  Sargodha District, Punjab), Ranjha becomes a jogi himself, piercing his  ears and renouncing the material world. Reciting the name of the Lord,  "Alakh Niranjan", he wanders all over the Punjab, eventually finding the  village where Heer now lives.

The two return to Heer's village,  where Heer's parents agree to their marriage. However, on the wedding  day, Heer's jealous uncle Kaido poisons her food so that the wedding  will not take place. Hearing this news, Ranjha rushes to aid Heer, but  he is too late, as she has already eaten the poison and died.  Brokenhearted once again, Ranjha takes the poisoned Laddu (sweet) which  Heer has eaten and dies by her side.

Heer and Ranjha are buried in Heer's hometown, Jhang. Lovers and others often pay visits to their mausoleum.

The  epic poem has been made into several feature films. Bollywood versions  include Heer Ranjha (1928) starring Zubeida, Heer Ranjha (1929), Heer  Ranjha (1931),

Heer Ranjha (1948), Heer Raanjha (1970) directed  by Chetan Anand and starring Raaj Kumar and Priya Rajvansh, and Heer  Ranjha (1992).This movie's songs became very popular all over South  Asia.

Pakistani versions include Heer Raanjha (1970) directed  by Masood Pervaiz and starring Firdous and Ejaz Durrani, Heer starring  Sowarn Lata and Inayat Hussain Bhatti, and Heer Sial starring Sudhir and  Bahar. In November 2009, "Heer Ranjha" was released in Punjabi starring  singer, actor Harbhajan Mann.