Some stories never die; they are told again and again, from time to time, place to place, author to author. One such is the story of Heer and Ranjha. About six centuries old now, it was first narrated in verse by one DamodarArora during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Damodar was a native of Jhang where the story is broadly based and he had heard it from one Raja Ram Khatri who is supposed to be an eyewitness to all that happened. Since then it has been narrated variously and in various languages, both in verse and prose. One of the most notable narratives came from Waris Shah in 1766, apart from several others in Sindhi, Haryanavi, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, and English. In Persian alone, there are as many as twenty versions of this story and in Urdu not less than fifteen.
Traced back to the Mahabharata, here is a story that Rishi Markandeya narrated to Raja Yudhishthira. The story which praises the virtues of a zealous woman and a devoted wife is that of Savitri who figured in Devi Bhgwat Purana and also became the subject of several literary compositions in the East and the West.
An emotionally honest Josh has remained an icon of love with a difference.
Sahir was passionate about life, as he was about love. Some of his lady-loves were illusory; others were real but in both he remained a deeply aspirational character.
Poetry has many uses. Politicians too have explored poetry in their own ways. Here are some shers that have been often used by them.
Loving is a way of living. Jigar lived love, as he lived life, and suffered both in all innocence.
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