Thursday, August 9, 2012

Virgin Love Of "Layla and Majnun"





Majnun fell in love with Layla bint Mahdi ibn Sa’d (better known as Layla Aamiriya) from the same tribe. He soon began composing poems about his love for her, mentioning her name often. His unself-conscious efforts to woo the girl caused some locals to call him Majnun (madman). When he asked for her hand in marriage, her father refused as it would be a scandal for Layla to marry someone considered mentally unbalanced. Soon after, Layla was married to another man.




When Majnun heard of her marriage, he fled the tribe camp and began wandering the surrounding desert. His family eventually gave up hope for his return and left food for him in the wilderness. He could sometimes be seen reciting poetry to himself or writing in the sand with a stick.




Layla moved to present-day Iraq with her husband, where she became ill and eventually died. In some versions, Layla dies of heartbreak from not being able to see her would-be lover. Majnun was later found dead in the wilderness in 688 AD, near an unknown woman’s grave. He had carved three verses of poetry on a rock near the grave, which are the last three verses attributed to him.
Many other minor incidents happened between his madness and his death. Most of his recorded poetry was composed before his descent into madness.



I pass by these walls, the walls of Layla

And I kiss this wall and that wall
It’s not Love of the houses that has taken my heart
But of the One who dwells in those houses 
 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A Beloved Romantic Tragedy "Mirza Sahiban"





Mirza, a Muslim Rajput Kharal, and Sahiban belong to Rajput Sial tribe .Kharal are Agnivanshi parmar panwar rajput and Sail is also parmar desendent from raja shankar ,they were childhood classmates as well as playmates. Sahiban was the daughter of Mahni, the chief of Kheava, a town in what is now the Sial territory in the Jhang district Punjab, Pakistan. Shayer Peelu raves about her beauty and says:

“ Sahiban stepped out with a lungi tied around her waist, the nine angels died upon seeing her beauty. ”


Mirza Khan is the son of Wanjhal Khan, the leader of the Kharal tribe in Dana Abad, a town in the Jaranwala area of what is now Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Mirza is sent to his relatives' house in Kheiwa to study, where he meets Sahiban and they fall in love. When, later in life, Sahiban is to be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan of the Chandhar family by arrangement of her parents, she sends a message to Mirza, living in the village of Danabad, through a Brahmin called Karmu:

“ You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna. ”

Mirza's sister asks him not to try to rescue Sahiban, as it is the day of her own wedding and she wants her brother to be there. His whole family warns him that the "Sials" (Sahiban's brothers) are aggressive and should be left alone, but Mirza pays no heed to this.

Mirza arrives on his Bakki (mare) during Sahiban's mehndi ceremony and carries her away. Sahiban's brothers find out about this and decide to follow them. On the way, as Mirza lies under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, Sahiban's brothers and chanders caught up with them.


Sahiban knows Mirza is an accomplished archer and would not miss a target, and that if he shot at them, her brothers would surely die. Before waking Mirza up, Sahiban broke his arrows so he can't use them, and hopes that, on seeing her, her brothers might change their minds and welcome Mirza into the family. She thought that they'd understand their love that they have for each other, but they are not to be swayed and a fight ensues. Though Mirza fights with all his might, he is unable to defeat such a large number of people and killed by the blow of a sword to his head from behind. Sahiban did not want bloodshed from either side of her beloved ones and her love to be stained with her brothers' blood. So she ended the fight with self annihilation. When Mirza was gone, she killed herself with Mirza's sword. Out of all the legendary stories originating from Punjab, Pakistan, Mirza Sahiban's story is one of very few where the male's name comes first. The legendary tale of Mirza Sahiban is now a part of Punjabi Culture in form of folk songs sung by many singers including Kuldeep Manak, Gurmeet Bawa and many more.

Monday, August 6, 2012

A Tragic Story of " Saasi & Punnu"




Sassi was a romantic soul, the daughter of King Adamkhan of Bhambour. At her birth the astrologers predicted that she was a curse for the royal family’s prestige. The king ordered that the child be put in a wooden chest with a ‘taweez’ tied on her neck and thrown into the river Chenab. The chest was seen floating by Atta, the washer man of Bamboon village. The dhobi believed the child was a blessing from God and took her home and adopted her as his child. Many, many years passed by and the king did not have another child, so he decides to get married again. When he heard that the daughter of Atta, the washer man, was as beautiful as the angels, the king summoned her to the palace. Sassi was still wearing the tabiz (amulet), which the queen mother had put around her neck when she was taken away to be drowned. The king recognized his daughter immediately on seeing the tabiz. The pent-up sufferings of the parents flowed into tears. They wanted their lost child to return to the palace and bring joy and brightness to their lives, but Sassi refused and preferred to live in the house where she had grown up. She refused to leave the man who had adopted her.





Sassi did not go to the palace but the king presented her with abundant gifts, lands and gardens where she could grow and blossom like a flower. As all the rare things of the world were within her reach she wanted to acquire knowledge and sent for learned teachers and scholars. She made sincere efforts to increase her knowledge. During this time she heard about the trader from Gajni, who had a garden mad with a monument, the inner portion of which was enriched with exquisite paintings.






When Sassi visited the place to offer her tributes and admire the rich art, she instantly fell in love with a painting, which was a masterpiece of heavenly creation. She soon discovered this was the portrait of Prince Punnu, son of King Ali Hoot, the ruler of Kicham. Sassi became desperate to meet Punnu, so she issued an order that any businessman coming from Kicham town should be presented before her. There was a flutter within the business community as this news spread and someone informed Punnu about Sassi’s love for him. He assumed the garb of a businessman and carrying a bagful of different perfumes came to meet Sassi. The moment Sassi saw him she couldn’t help saying," Praise to be God!"







Punu’s Baluchi brothers developed an enmity for Sassi. They followed him and on reaching the town they saw the marriage celebrations of Sassi and Pannu in full swing, they could not bear the rejoicing. That night the brothers pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnu to drink different types of liquor. When he was dead drunk the brothers carried him on a camel’s back and returned to their hometown Kicham.





The next morning when she realized that she was cheated she became mad with the grief of separation from her lover and ran barefoot towards the city of Kicham. To reach the city she had to cross miles of desert land, the journey that was full of dangerous hazards, leading to the end of world. Her end was similar to the end of Kaknoos bird. It is said that when this bird sings, fire leaps out from its wings and it is reduced to ashes in its own flames. Similarly Punnu’s name was the death song for Sassi who repeated it like a song and flames of fire leapt up and she was also reduced to ashesPunu’s

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Olympic Love Affairs


 Harold Connolly and Olga Fikotová


American Harold Connolly won the 1956 hammer-throw gold medal, but gained far more international attention for his Olympic Village
romance with Czechoslovakian discus champion Olga Fikotova. After a great deal of pressure, the Iron Curtain was drawn open long enough for Olga and Harold to wed. Forty thousand well-wishers attended their civil ceremony in Prague, which was followed by two more services, one Catholic and one Protestant. The couple then settled in the United States. Harold eventually took part in four Olympics and Olga in five. After they divorced in 1973 Harold married three-time Olympian Pat Daniels.


 Camilla Andersen and Mia Hundvin



The first day of the Sydney 2000 women’s team handball competition saw an unusual occurrence: for the first time in Olympic history, a married couple played against each other. Three months before the Sydney Games, Camilla Andersen of Denmark and Mia Hundvin of Norway became “registered partners” in Copenhagen. As expected, Norway won the match, but Denmark came back to win the gold medals. The couple separated in 2003.


Elizabeth Becker and Clarence Pinkston



Elizabeth Becker Pinkston of the United States balanced her 1924 springboard gold with first place in the platform diving four years later.
Between Olympics she had married fellow American Clarence Pinkston, whom she had met when both were members of the 1924 US diving team in Paris. Husband and wife eventually won seven Olympic medals between them.


Iñaki Urdangarín and Princess Cristina



During the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Spanish handball star Inaki Urdangarin met Princess Cristina, daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain,
who had competed in sailing at the 1988 Olympics. The couple married in October 1997. In 2012 Urdangarin was investigated in connection with a corruption allegation in which he was accused of making millions of Euros by using his royal position to win contracts from regional governments for his non-profit foundations and then subcontracting the work to companies he oversaw.


 Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock



Charlene Wittstock, who swam the lead leg for South Africa in the Sydney 2000 women’s 4 × 100 meter medley relay, went on to marry Prince Albert of Monaco, the five-time bobsled Olympian and son of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier.


Matthew Emmons and Katerina Kurková




Matthew Emmons missed a chance to win two gold medals in a single Olympics. With a healthy three-point lead going into the final shot of the three position small-bore rifle event, Emmons, who had won the prone event two days earlier, accidentally aimed and fired at the wrong target, earning zero points and dropping to eighth place. His blunder did come with a silver lining. After the competition, Czech shooter Katerina Kurkova came over to offer her condolences. The pair started dating and married in 2007.

Taken from The Book of Olympic Lists by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky, published by Aurum.

When a Man Is Attracted to a Woman






The indirectness of a man's affection may mislead a woman into thinking he has no attraction for her. According to Thomas C. Stephens, a marriage and family counselor in Olean, New York, being unsure of how you feel can make recognizing a man's attraction signals even harder to recognize. Knowing some of the signs a man gives when he is attracted to a woman will help you to know when making the first move may benefit you.


Body Language




Stephens states that men often reveal information about themselves through the way they move, stand and act. To show attraction, a man may face a woman directly and try to maintain eye contact as much as possible. Some men take on a macho attitude by flexing muscles and strutting past a woman who attracts attention. In Cosmopolitan magazine, Dr. David B. Givens, director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies in Spokane, Washington, states that a man aims his upper body at whatever he finds the most meaningful in the room. He also states that a man may also try to show a woman he has interest in her by tilting his head to the side while looking at her or turning his toes in. Often these men are too timid to make the first move and need a woman to initiate conversation.



Appearance










Men preen themselves when they have interest in a woman, states effective-communicating.com. According to Givens, when a man runs his hand through his hair, he wants to look attractive to a woman and does this to primp himself. Stephens states that a man may subconsciously fix his tie, straighten his shirt or brush invisible dirt off his sleeve. Effective-communicating.com also states that when a man touches his throat or checks his teeth, he wants to impress someone.




Touching




Stephens advises that when a man has interest in a woman, he is likely to come up with various reasons to touch her. He may "accidentally" bump into her. He may even place his hand next to her hand in a way that the two hands are touching, but barely. Effective-communicating.com states a man may use an excuse for having touched you like, "your top looked so soft I just had to feel it" or "I was just removing a small piece of lint from your shirt." Men may even place his hand on a woman's shoulder or knee, tickle her in a playful manner or pat her on the back.




Conversation






Men trying to gain the interest of a woman take interest in what she has to say. Stephens states that to do this, he will face the woman, ask her questions, and keep the conversation flowing based on the topic she chose. He states that if a man dislikes a subject or feels a woman is asking too many questions, he will look away or try to change the subject.




References
Thomas C. Stephens; Marriage and Family Counselor; Olean, NY
Cosmopolitan: The Signs He's Sending You 
Effective-Communicating.com: How Men Flirt

A True Love Story "Heer Ranjha"



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 written in 1766. It tells the story of the love of Heer and her lover Ranjha. The other poetic narrations were written by Damodar Daas, Mukbaz and Ahmed Gujjar among others. 



Heer Saleti was an extremely beautiful woman, born into a wealthy Jatt family of the Sayyal clan. Ranjha (his surname), his first name was Dheedo, also was a Jatt. He was the youngest of four brothers and lived in the village 'Takht Hazara' by the river Chenab. Unlike his older brothers who had to toil in the fields, young Ranjha had been doled over by his, becoming his father's favorite son. With the work being handled his father allowed him to lead a life of ease playing the flute ('Wanjhli'/'Bansuri'). After a quarrel with his brothers over land, Ranjha left home.



In Waris Shah's beloved version of the epic, Ranjha left his home because his brothers' wives refused to give him food. Eventually he arrives in Heer's village and falls in deeply in love with her at first sight. Heer offers Ranjha a job as caretaker of her father's cattle. Soon, mesmerised by the way Ranjha plays his flute, she eventually falls in love with him. They met each other secretly for many years until they were caught by Heer's jealous uncle, Kaido, and her parents Chuchak and Malki. So Heer, to save the 'honor' of her family, is forced by her family and the local priest or 'mullah' to marry another (rich, respected, older local man) named Saida Khera who lived in a distant village.



Ranjha is heartbroken. He is left to walk the quiet villages on his own until eventually he meets a 'Jogi' (an ascetic) named Baba Gorakhnath, who happens to be the founder of the "Kanphata" (pierced ear) sect of Yogis. Their meeting was at 'Tilla Jogian' (the 'Hill of Ascetics'), located 50 miles north of the historic town of Bhera, Sargodha District, Punjab, India; which since the farengis (the British) partitioned India (dividing the former kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) has been part of (Pakistan)). The heart-broken Ranjha decided to become a Jogi, piercing his ears and renouncing the material world. Reciting the name of the Lord, "Alakh Niranjan", as he traveled around the Punjab, he eventually finds the village where he is reunited with Heer.


The two returned to Heer's village, where Heer's parents agreed to their marriage. However, on the wedding day, Heer's jealous uncle Kaido had arranged for one of his servants to lace some sweets, that Ranja had sent to Heer, with a deadly poison, such was his jealousy that he would rather have her die than she her happily married to Ranja. Being told what Heer's uncle had done, Ranjha rushed to save Heer, but he was too late, as several pieces of the Laddu were missing and Heer breath her last just as he arrived. Brokenhearted once again, Ranjha finished the poisoned Laddu (a sweet) laying down to die by her side.



Heer and Ranjha are buried in a Punjabi town called Jhang, Punjab. Lovers and others often pay visits to their mausoleum.







Awal-akhir naam Allah da lena, duja dos Muhammad Miran
Tija naun mat pita da lena, unha da chunga dudh sariran
Chautha naun an pani da lena, jis khave man banhe dhiran
Panjman naun Dharti Mata da lena, jis par kadam takiman
Chhewan naun Khwaja Pir da lena, jhul pilave thande niran
Satwan naun Guru Gorakhnath de lena, patal puje bhojan
Athwan naun lalanwale da lena, bande bande de tabaq janjiran
Waris Shah






Translation:-

First and last, take the name of God; second, of 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 (Khazir, the Saint), who gives me cold water to drink

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

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