Heer Ranjha

Heer Ranjha was written by Waris Shah. Some historians say that the story was the original work of Shah, written after he had fallen in love with a girl named Bhag Bhari.[2] Others say that Heer and Ranjha were real personalities who lived under the Lodi dynasty in India of the 15th and 16th century and that Waris Shah later utilised 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.[3]

Rag Heer Ranjha. The invocation at the beginning,[4] in one version:

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

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

Chautha naun unn paani da lena, jis khaave man banhe dhiran

Panjman naun Dharti Maata da lena, jis par kadam takiman

Chhewan naun Khwaja Pir da lena, jhul pilave thande niran

Satwan naun Guru Gorakhnath de lena, pataal puje bhojan

Athwan naun lalaanwale da lena, bande bande de tabaq zanjiran

First take the name of Allah and second the Great Muhammad, the prophet [of God]

Third, take the name of father and mother, on whose milk my body thrived

Fourth, take the name of bread and water, by eating which my heart is gladdened

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

Sixth, take the name of Khwaja (Khizr, the Saint), who gives me cold water to drink

Seventh, take the name of Guru Gorakh Nath who is worshipped with a platter of milk and rice

Eighth, take the name of Lalanwala who breaks the bonds and the chains of captives

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

Luddan ferries Ranjha across the Chenab

Heer/Ezzat Bibi is an extremely beautiful woman, born into a wealthy high caste family of the Sial Jat in Jhang which is now Punjab, Pakistan. Ranjha/Murad Bukhsh (whose nickname is Dheedo; Ranjha is the surname, his caste is Ranjha), a Jat of the Ranjha tribe, is the youngest of four brothers and lives in the village of 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 the death of Ranjha's father, Mauju Chaudhry, Ranjha has 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 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 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 'Maulvi' to marry another man named Saida Khera.[1]

Ranjha is heartbroken. He wanders the countryside alone, until eventually he meets a Shaiva Jogi (ascetic). After meeting Gorakhnath, the founder of the "Kanphata" (pierced ear) sect of jogis at Tilla Jogian (the 'Hill of Ascetics', located 80 kilometres north of the historic town of Bhera, 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 parent's 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 Laddu (sweet) which Heer has eaten 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.[1][5]

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.[6][7]

The epic poem has been made into several feature films between 1928 and 2013.[8]

In 2013, the television serial Heer Ranjha, directed by Shahid Zahoor and produced by Yousuf Salahuddin, aired on PTV Home.

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

The British musician Panjabi MC references the tale of Heer and Ranjha in his 2003 song Jogi.[9] 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.

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.

One of the songs of 2012 Hindi film Jab Tak Hai Jaan has been named "Heer".[10]

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 a song "Heer Ranjha" and it has garnered more than 10 millions as of now, which depicts the brutal customs of society

• Muna Madan
• Damodar Das Arora
• Sassi Punnun
• Trilok Singh Chitarkar see gallery - Painting of Sayyid Waris Shah (1722-1798) prepared in 1956 and published by Languages Department, Government of Punjab.

• 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.