Momal Rano

Momal Rano or Mumal Rano (Sindhi: مومل راڻو) tells the adventures of Mumal, a beautiful and dangerous, courtesan-like woman, and her lover Rano.

Rano, wrongly assuming that she has cheated him one night, leaves her alone. Eventually, after a long period of waiting, the loving woman is purified and united with the beloved, whose light she knows and recognises everywhere.[1]

Mumal Rano appears in Shah Jo Risalo and is one of a set of seven popular tragic romances from Sindh, Pakistan. The other six tales are Umar Marui, Sohni Mehar, Sassui Punhun, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sorath Rai Diyach and Sohni Mehar commonly known as the Seven Heroines (ست سورميون) of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

The same story is famous in Rajasthani literature.

Story

Mumal Rathore was a gorgeous princess and living in a glamorous palace (it was previously named as Kak Mahal) in Jaisalmer, India. The story begins with the description of the charms, clothes and perfume adorning Mumal or Momal and her seven sisters and an attendant 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. Rana Mahendra Sodha, the ruler of Amar Kot in Sindh, and he was attracted to the magical Kak.

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 AmarKot 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 sister 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.[2]

Structure in Shah Jo Risalo

Sur Momal Rano (سر مومل راڻو) is one of 30 Surs (chapters) in Shah Jo Risalo. The sections of this Sur are:[2]

  1. Momal expects Rano, she keeps the lamps burning till dawn.
  2. Beauty of Momal, she prefers Rano to other lovers, her longing for him.
  3. A swami Fakir returns from Momal, he gives some information of his experiences, several great men go to win her but they never return-all are killed.
  4. Straight way to her palace-the entreats Rano to be reconciled to her as he is offended-she can't bear the pangs of love and separation.
  5. She longs for meeting with him.
  6. She remembers him.
  7. Effects of Rano's love on Momal.
  8. Rano's obligations on Momal.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Annemarie Schimmel (2003). Pain and grace:a study of two mystical writers of eighteenth-century Muslim India. Sang-E-Meel Publications.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 K F Mirza (Mirza Kalich Beg) (1980), Life of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai:A Brief Commentary on his Risalo, Hyderabad,Sindh, Pakistan: Bhit Shah cultural centre committee

External links