Momal Rano
Encyclopedia
Momal Ranois one of the historical romantic tale from Pakistan
. It is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh
and Baluchistan. The other six are Umar Marvi
, Sohni Mahiwal
, LiLa Chanesar
, Noori Jam Tamachi
, Sassi Punnun
and Dhaj, Ror Kumar
commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
. Heer Ranjha
and Mirza Sahiba
, including Sohni Mahiwal
and Sassi Punnun
are the four other tales from Punjab
, narrated in Punjabi
. These four include Sassi Punnun
and Sohni Mahiwal
again, as they are culturally included in both Punjab
i and Sindh
i traditions. These nine tragic romances from South Asia
(all from now days Pakistan
)have become part of the cultural identity of Pakistan
.
Momal was a gorgeous princess and living at Ghotki
in a glamorous palace named Kak Mahal in Pakistan
. The story begins with the description of the charms, clothes and perfume adorning Mumal and her sisters and attendants as they weave a web of magic in the Kak palace to attract rich suitors for the hand of Mumal, deprive them of their wealth and also finish them off in a maze of labyrinths, fake ponds and other illusions of the palace.
The reputation of this palace, and of Mumal’s dazzling beauty soon became legend. Hamir alias Umar, the last Soomro King of Umer Kot in Sindh, and his three ministers, all Sodhas by caste were attracted to the magical Kak.
One of the ministers was the young Rano alias Mendhro. Hamir attempted to reach the palace but failed. The other ministers, too, failed. Rano then ventured to try his luck. He was an extremely intelligent and courageous man which led him to succeed in reaching the palace, unharmed. Mumal was so impressed that she accepted her as her consort. He spent the night at the palace and returned to Umer Kot in the morning. He covered long distance from Umer Kot to Kak to spend time with Mumal.
One day, Rano reached Kak Mahal unusually late due to some business that he had to attend to. Mumal got so frustrated that she planned to play a trick on him. She dressed her Sumal in a man’s attire and made her sleep by her side. When Rano arrived, he mistook Sumal as a Mumal’s paramour.
Out of disgust he left his riding cane besides Mumal’s bed and returned to Umer Kot. Mumal pleaded Rano to forgive her but Rano ignored her requests.
Out of desperation, she set a fire and jumped in it. When Rano came to know of this, he rushed to the place where he saw that Mumal was already in flames, he joined her to be consumed by the fire along with Mumal.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and Baluchistan. The other six are Umar Marvi
Umar Marvi
Umar Marvi or Marui is a Sindh love story that appears in Shah Jo Risalo. It is a love story set in Sindh, Pakistan. Umar Marui is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan...
, Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal and is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, LiLa Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
, LiLa Chanesar
LiLa Chanesar
-Introduction:Lilan Chanesar, is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
, Noori Jam Tamachi
Noori Jam Tamachi
Noori Jam Tamachi is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, LiLa Chanesar, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
, Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun ; is one of the seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Umar Marui, Sohni Mehar, Lila Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Momal Rano and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
and Dhaj, Ror Kumar
Dhaj, Ror Kumar
Raja Dhaj or Rai Diyach, a name by which he is better known among Sindhi Rajputs when they listen to the ballad of Sorath, is an ancient figure made immortal by his abduction of Sorath, a woman of legendary beauty...
commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai was a Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Sindhi language...
. Heer Ranjha
Heer Ranjha
For 1970 Hindi movie of same name and characters, see Heer Raanjha.Heer Ranjha is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. The other three are Mirza Sahiba, Sassi Punnun and Sohni Mahiwal. There are several poetic narrations of the story, the most famous being 'Heer' by Waris Shah...
and Mirza Sahiba
Mirza Sahiba
Mirza Sahiba is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiba, including Sohni Mahiwal and Sassi Punnun are the four tales from Punjab, narrated in Punjabi...
, including Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal and is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, LiLa Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
and Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun ; is one of the seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Umar Marui, Sohni Mehar, Lila Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Momal Rano and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
are the four other tales from Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, narrated in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
. These four include Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun ; is one of the seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Umar Marui, Sohni Mehar, Lila Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Momal Rano and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
and Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal and is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, LiLa Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
again, as they are culturally included in both Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
i and Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
i traditions. These nine tragic romances from South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
(all from now days Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
)have become part of the cultural identity of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Momal was a gorgeous princess and living at Ghotki
Ghotki
Ghotki Ghotki is the capital of Ghotki District in northern Sindh, Pakistan. It was the site of the July 13, 2005, Ghotki rail crash. The town is located at 28°1'0N 69°19'0E with an altitude of 72 metres ....
in a glamorous palace named Kak Mahal in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The story begins with the description of the charms, clothes and perfume adorning Mumal and her sisters and attendants as they weave a web of magic in the Kak palace to attract rich suitors for the hand of Mumal, deprive them of their wealth and also finish them off in a maze of labyrinths, fake ponds and other illusions of the palace.
The reputation of this palace, and of Mumal’s dazzling beauty soon became legend. Hamir alias Umar, the last Soomro King of Umer Kot in Sindh, and his three ministers, all Sodhas by caste were attracted to the magical Kak.
One of the ministers was the young Rano alias Mendhro. Hamir attempted to reach the palace but failed. The other ministers, too, failed. Rano then ventured to try his luck. He was an extremely intelligent and courageous man which led him to succeed in reaching the palace, unharmed. Mumal was so impressed that she accepted her as her consort. He spent the night at the palace and returned to Umer Kot in the morning. He covered long distance from Umer Kot to Kak to spend time with Mumal.
One day, Rano reached Kak Mahal unusually late due to some business that he had to attend to. Mumal got so frustrated that she planned to play a trick on him. She dressed her Sumal in a man’s attire and made her sleep by her side. When Rano arrived, he mistook Sumal as a Mumal’s paramour.
Out of disgust he left his riding cane besides Mumal’s bed and returned to Umer Kot. Mumal pleaded Rano to forgive her but Rano ignored her requests.
Out of desperation, she set a fire and jumped in it. When Rano came to know of this, he rushed to the place where he saw that Mumal was already in flames, he joined her to be consumed by the fire along with Mumal.
See also
- LiLa ChanesarLiLa Chanesar-Introduction:Lilan Chanesar, is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
- Umar MarviUmar MarviUmar Marvi or Marui is a Sindh love story that appears in Shah Jo Risalo. It is a love story set in Sindh, Pakistan. Umar Marui is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan...
- Noori Jam TamachiNoori Jam TamachiNoori Jam Tamachi is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, LiLa Chanesar, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
- Sindhi literatureSindhi literatureSindhi literature is very rich and is generally considered to be among the world's oldest. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature both in poetry and prose.- Sufi literature and poetry :...
- Shah Abdul Latif BhittaiShah Abdul Latif BhittaiShah Abdul Latif Bhittai was a Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Sindhi language...
- Pakistani FolklorePakistani folklorePakistan has a wide variety of folklore, mostly circulated regionally. However, certain tales have related variants in other regions of the country or in neighbouring countries. Some folktales like Shirin and Farhad are told in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and almost all nations of Central...
External links
- Mumal and Rano by Shah Abdul Latif
- Mumal and Rano by Elsa Qazi