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Heer Ranjha
Painting depicting the lovers Heer and Ranjha, Bazaar School, Amritsar, circa 19th century
Folk tale
Name	Heer Ranjha
Region	Punjab
Origin Date	early 17th century

This article is part of the series
Punjabi folklore ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੋਕਧਾਰਾ • پنجابی لوک ریت
Romances Heer Ranjha Mirza Sahiban Sohni Mahiwal Sassui Punhun Yusuf and Zulaikha Laila and Majnun Dhola Maru
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Heer Ranjha (Punjabi: [ɦiɾ ɾaːnd͡ʒ(ʱ)aː]) is a traditional Punjabi folk tragedy with many historic poetic narrations; with the first one penned by Damodar Gulati in 1600s, on the preexisting oral legend; and the most famous one, Heer, written by Waris Shah in 1766, in the form of an epic. Set in Takht Hazara and Tilla Jogian, it follows the story of love, forced separation, and eventual simultaneous demise of two youths in the Punjabi countryside.

It is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. The other three are Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahiwal and Sassi Punnun.

History

Heer Ranjha has been written by several poets. Damodar Gulati, who was first to narrate the tale, claimed to be its eyewitness. His Qissa is deemed to be the oldest Heer in Punjabi literature. He stated himself to be from Jhang—the home of Heer. 16th century poet Shah Hussain also used the tale in his Kafi. Waris Shah later re-narrated the story in his novel in 1766, in which he stated that the story has a deeper meaning, referring to the unrelenting quest that man has towards God.

Plot

Heer (Izzat Bibi) is an extremely beautiful woman, born into a wealthy family belonging to the Sial clan, while Dheedo Ranjha, who is from the Ranjha clan, is the youngest of four brothers and lives in the village of Takht Hazara by the Chenab river in rural Punjab. Being his father's favourite son, unlike his brothers who have to toil in the lands, he leads a life of ease, playing the flute ('Wanjhli'/'Bansuri'). After the death of Ranjha's father, Mauju Chaudhry, Ranjha has a quarrel with his brothers over land, and leaves his home. In Waris Shah's version of the epic, Ranjha leaves home because his brothers' wives refused to serve him food.

Eventually he arrives in Heer's village and falls in love with her. Heer's father offers Ranjha a job of herding his cattle. Ranjha, routinely, plays his flute in the fields after work and Heer becomes mesmerized by it and eventually falls in love with him. They meet each other secretly for several years until they are caught by Heer's envious uncle, Kaido, and her parents Chuchak and Malki. Heer is forced by her family and the local priest (Maulvi) to marry another man named Saida Khera, belonging to the Khera clan.

Ranjha is left heartbroken. He wanders the countryside alone, until he eventually meets a Jogi (ascetic). After meeting Gorakhnath, the legendary founder of the Kanphata (pierced ear) sect of Jogis at Tilla Jogian ("Hill of Ascetics"), 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 tale state that the parents' agreement is only a deception. On the wedding day, Kaido, Heer's uncle, poisons her food 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-laced food 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 visit 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.

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 play Romeo and Juliet.

In popular culture

The epic poem has been made into several feature films since 1928:

In 2013, the television serial Heer Ranjha, directed by Shahid Zahoor and produced by Yousuf Salahuddin, aired on PTV Home. Heer Ranjha is a 2020 Indian Punjabi-language period drama television series starring Amaninder Pal Singh and Sara Gurpal in the lead roles. It aired on Zee Punjabi and is based on the folktale of Heer and Ranjha.

In music

Bally Jagpal British musician has a song named "Ranjha" dedicated to their story. The British musician Panjabi MC 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 ,"Ranjha Ranjha" by Rekha Bhardwaj and Javed Ali from the movie 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.

Also the movie Tamasha (2015) has some mentioning of their love story and also a song in that same movie starting with Heer's name.

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 (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.

In Raf Saperra's 2023 single "Ranjha", he sings from the perspective of Heer longing Ranjha's return after she is married off and he becomes a jogi.

Gallery

• Marriage procession of Heer by a Lahori artist
• Heer Ranjha and Qaido. Gujjar Singh Saudagar Kutubfrosh. Amritsar. ca.1875
• Heer Ranjha - Two Women, Jodhpur school, watercolor, Tokyo National Museum.

See also

• Punjabi folklore
• Trilok Singh Chitarkar

References

1. Punjabi: ہیر رانجھا, ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ

1. Akhund, Abdul Hamid (1993). Bhitai, the Message of the Master: An Anthology of Commentaries on the Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif. Shah Abdul Latif Bhitshah Cultural Centre Committee. p. 91. ISBN 9789698100117. Numerous variants of Hir Ranjha exist not only in Panjabi, but also in Sindhi, Persian, and Balochi...
2. ^ (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
3. Ikram, Sheikh Mohamad (1955). The cultural heritage of Pakistan. : Oxford University Press. p. 151. There are five major folk romances , Heer Ranjha, Sassi Punnu, Sohni Mahinwal, Mirza Sahiban, Puran Bhagat. Of these Heer Ranjha is the most popular romance...
4. Jamal Shahid (11 January 2015). "A beloved folk story comes to life". Dawn. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
5. Karan Bali (13 September 2016). "Before 'Mirzya', Mirza and Sahiban have died over and over again for their love (Numerous versions of the legend exist, including productions in Punjabi on both sides of the border)". Scroll.in website. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
6. "Love Legends in History of Punjab". Punjabi World website. 20 April 2007. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
7. Sahibaan remains unheard The Hindu (newspaper), Published 11 October 2016, Retrieved 8 November 2020
8. Waqar Pirzada (2014), Chasing Love Up against the Sun, p. 12
9. "Sufi Lyrics: Selections from a World Classic". Glossary. Harvard University Press: 173. 31 December 2021. doi:10.4159/9780674259683-005.
10. Re-Thinking Punjab: The Construction of Siraiki Identity. Lahore : Research and Publication Centre: Hussain Ahmed Khan. 2004. p. 130. ISBN 978-9-69862-309-8.
11. Transition and Transformation in Varis Shah's Hir. Snell, Rupert (eds.). The Indian Narrative: Perspectives and Patterns. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.: Shackle, Christopher. 1992. p. 253. ISBN 978-3-44703-241-4.
12. Tomb Of Heer Ranjha In Jhang on Pakistan Geotagging website Retrieved 14 November 2020
13. Ikram, Sheikh Mohamad (1955). The cultural heritage of Pakistan. : Oxford University Press. pp. 151–152.
14. Moretti, Franco (2006). The Novel: History, geography, and culture. Princeton University Press. p. 603. ISBN 978-0-691-04947-2. Retrieved 20 April 2022. Qissa in Arabic merely means "story," but in the Indian subcontinent it came to mean specifically a "verse-narrative telling the tragic story of two young people who love each other beyond discretion." Well-known examples of this genre are Laila-Majnu, Heer-Ranjha, Sassi-Punno, Soni-Mahiwal, and Yusuf-Zulekha (written roughly between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries)
15. Sirhandi, Marcella C. (1 September 1999). "Manipulating Cultural Idioms". Art Journal. 58 (3): 40–47. doi:10.1080/00043249.1999.10791952. ISSN 0004-3249. S2CID 191565141.
16. Cultural Insights Punjab Can It Be a Bridge to Peace Between India and Pakistan? Calhoun website, Published 1 October 2011, Retrieved 14 November 2020
17. ^ "List of many films made on the love story of Heer Ranjha on Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website". 3 April 2016. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
18. ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. ISBN 9780851706696. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
19. "Heer Ranjha". ZEE5. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
20. "jogi lyrics + English translation". lyricstranslate.com website. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
21. "Tabeer". www.radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
22. "Jab Tak Hai Jaan: Watch the new song 'Heer'". News18 India website. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2020.

Bibliography

Printed sources

• Temple, Richard Carnac (1884). "No. XXXVIII. The Marriage of Hîr and Rânjhâ". The legends of the Panjâb. Vol. II. Bombay: Education Society's Press. pp. 507–580.
• Swynnerton, Charles (1903). "The Love Story of Hîr and Rânjha". Romantic Tales From Punjab. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd. pp. 1–69.
• Gill, Harjeet Singh (2003). Heer Ranjha and other legends of the Punjab. New Delhi: Harman Publishing House. pp. 1–36. ISBN 81-86622-60-8.

Further reading

• Mir, Farina (2006). "Genre and Devotion in Punjabi Popular Narratives: Rethinking Cultural and Religious Syncretism". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 48 (3): 727–58. doi:10.1017/S0010417506000284.

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 Archived 1 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine in Urdu language.
• Complete Heer Waris Shah in Shahmukhi language.
• Qissa Heer Waris Shah in Unicode Punjabi language.
• Heer Ranjha Story by Bilal Zuberi Late

• Heer Ranjha
• Punjabi culture
• Punjabi folklore
• Punjabi literature
• Sufi literature
• 1766 novels
• Literary duos
• Tragedy
• Indian folklore
• Indian literature
• Love stories
• Pakistani folklore
• Pakistani literature