Sohni Mahiwaal
Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who lived in Punjab near the banks of the Chenab River. As soon as the Surahis (water pitchers) and mugs came off the wheels, she would draw floral designs on them and transform them into masterpieces of art.
Izzat Biag, the rich trader form Balakh Bukhara, came to Hindustan on business but when he saw the beautiful Sohni he was completely enchanted. Instead of keeping mohars (gold coins) in his pockets, he roamed around with his pockets full of love. Just to get a glimpse of Sohni he would end up buying the water pitchers and mugs everyday.
Sohni lost her heart to Izzat Baig. Instead of making floral designs on earthenware she started building castles of love in her dreams. Izzat Baig sent off his companions to Balakh Bukhara. He took the job of a servant in the house of Tula, the potter. He would even take their buffaloes for grazing. Soon he was known as Mahiwal (potter).
When the people started spreading rumors about the love of Sohni and Mahiwal, without her consent her parents arranged her marriage with another potter.
Suddenly, one day his barat (marriage party) arrived at the threshold of her house. Sohni was helpless and in a poignant state. Her parents bundled her off in the doli (palanquin), but they could not pack off her love in any doli (box).
Izzat Baig renounced the world and started living like a fakir (hermit) in a small hut across the river. The earth of Sohni’s land was like a dargah (shrine) for him. He had forgotten his own land, his own people and his world. Taking refuge in the darkness of the night when the world was fast asleep Sohni would come by the riverside and Izzat Baig would swim across the river to meet her. He would regularly roast a fish and bring it for her. It is said that once due to high tide he could not catch a fish, so he cut a piece of his thigh and roasted it. Seeing the bandage on his thigh, Sohni opened it, saw the wound and cried.
From the next day Sohni started swimming across the river with the help of an earthen pitcher as Izzat Baig was so badly wounded, he could not swim across the river. Soon spread the rumors of their romantic rendezvous. One-day Sohni’s sister-in-law followed her and saw the hiding place where Sohni used to keep her earthen pitcher among the bushes. The next day her sister-in-law removed the hard baked pitcher and replaced it with an unbaked one. At night when Sohni tried to cross the river with the help of the pitcher, it dissolved in the water and Sohni was drowned. From the other side of the river Mahiwal saw Sohni drowning and jumped into the river.
This was Sohni’s courage, which every woman of Punjab has recognized, applauded in songs: “Sohni was drowned, but her soul still swims in water…”
dilpreet said, January 21, 2007 @ 2:18 am
thats my favorite story it is so nice you should read taht this wat calls love tho
kuldeep Singh Mansahia said, February 25, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
this is a good story.
PUNJABI VIRSA
VELLY JATT
FOCK FEAR
kuldeep Mansahia (Mansa)
Amanpreet said, April 23, 2007 @ 9:36 am
its true that true love lies in the veins of punjabis and this is a true example
param said, May 30, 2007 @ 4:50 am
I belive that we’ll never find the true lover like these couples i am also love to read these histories.
Neeta said, June 24, 2007 @ 12:11 am
Very pretty story; this one’s my favorite.
khushbu said, August 29, 2007 @ 7:46 am
i only want to say after reading this story that true love always remain alive till death nad after death society always come in the way but true love never die….
Dr.Charanjit Singh Gumtala said, September 22, 2007 @ 4:06 am
Nice story.Good effort by Sadapunjab to convey legends of true love story of Punjab in english.Please put more stories
Baljit Singh said, October 15, 2007 @ 12:56 am
Sohni was great woman of Punjab.
Preet said, December 8, 2007 @ 1:32 am
I REALLY LIKE THIS STORY….. TRUE LOVE NEVER DIES…
WELL DONE SADA PUNJAB.
Khuram Warraich said, January 9, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
I like this story very much. this is the story of my city (Gujrat, Punjab, PAK). but most of the sites have wrong story. like wikipedia is saying this the story of SINDH not punjab. Movie of Sohni Mahiwal by Sunny Deol does not reprent the actual facts.
This story is pretty fine. I just would like to tell all the punjabi’s some of the real facts.
Sohni belongs to Kamyar (Kumhar) caste which is famous for pottery in Punjab. Her father’s name was Dulla (not tula) Kamyar. Gujrat is famous for pottery since many centuries. All the traders come there to buy pottery. Gujrat city have four doors(entraces, darwaza). the south is called Kalravi darvaza and Sohni Bazar (also called Pandiyan wala bazar) is right by Kalravi darvaaza. Chenab is four kilometers from there. Sohni was fiance of her cousin. she was married to him also but did not sleep with him. there are many corrections to be made. i don’t want to get in the details.
but just want all the punjabi’s don’t change the history. i would like to request Gurdaas Mann to make a movie on that which is based on real story so that it could change it.
Thank you very much for time. you can reach me greenishpunjab@hotmail.com
Khuram Warraich said, January 9, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Here is Qissa of Sohni Mahiwal which you can listen
http://www.apnaorg.com/music/ashiq3/
Mahi said, January 15, 2008 @ 2:31 am
I want this love story become completly happy end. I hope they will come back some day, somehow for this true love.
just wait…………………
Mahi.
meet said, January 23, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
sada punjab is really good. i got a lot of information about my culture and the great love stories that have been reminded to us by sada punjab. its a great website.
aman ubhi said, March 9, 2008 @ 7:54 am
soooooooo nice . i love to know about these love stories which r related to our culture n its amazing that i get these on this site . its really vry touching. its vry nice site . really sada punjab is gr8.
gurleen said, March 18, 2008 @ 6:21 am
i love this story but m very surprised to know bout such a inhumane act by sohni’s sister in law…one shud never come down to the limit of killing when it is the matter of love..
honey said, May 10, 2008 @ 1:38 am
very very nice story
jasmeet said, July 6, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
v hv heard bt dis luv story many times, bt all of us wud agree dat v ppl didn’t no bt dese intricate details given up rigt here…& at d same tym it is applaudable dat ppl r taking out tym to point out where corrections r needed (my thanx to dem)….indeed sada punjab is doing coomendable & appreciable job…keep it up