Sohni Mahiwal
| Sohni Mahiwal Suhni Mehar | |
|---|---|
Painting depicting Sohni crossing the Chenab River using Ghada and Mahiwal waiting for her on the other side | |
| Folk tale | |
| Name | Sohni Mahiwal Suhni Mehar |
| Country | Pakistan • India |
| Region | Sindh • Punjab |
| Origin Date | 10th century |
| This article is part of the series |
| Punjabi folklore ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੋਕਧਾਰਾ • پنجابی لوک ریت |
|---|
| Punjab portal |
| This article is part of the series |
| Sindhi folklore لوڪ ڪهاڻيون |
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| Sindh portal |
Sohni Mahiwal (Punjabi: [soː(ɦ)ɳiː məɦĩʋaːl]) or Suhni Mehar is a traditional Punjabi–Sindhi folk tragedy. Set in central Sindh or northern Punjab, depending upon the version of the tragedy, the folktale depicts the separation of two lovers and their tragic demise.
In Sindh, it is one of the seven popular tragic romances of Sindh. The other six are Umar Marvi, Momal Rano, Sassui Punnhun, Lilan Chanesar, Sorath Rai Diyach, and Noori Jam Tamachi. In Punjab, it is one of four of the most popular romances, the other three being Heer Ranjha, Sassui Punnhun and Mirza Sahiban.
Sohni Mahiwal is a tragic love story which inverts the classical motif of Hero and Leander. The heroine Sohni, unhappily married to a man she despises, swims every night across the river using an earthenware pot to keep afloat in the water, to where her beloved Mahiwal herds buffaloes. One night her sister-in-law replaces the earthenware pot with a vessel of unbaked clay, which dissolves in water and she dies in the whirling waves of the river.