| Sassui Punnhun | |
|---|---|
 Painting of Sassi Punnu on camel back, by Prabhu, Punjab Hills, ca.1780 | |
| Folk tale | |
| Name | Sassui Punnhun |
| Country | Pakistan • India |
| Region | Sindh • Punjab • Balochistan |
| 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 |
|---|
Anecdotes |
 Sindh portal |
Sassui Punnhun[a] orSassi Punnu[b] is a traditionalSindhi,Balochi,[1][2] and Punjabitragicfolktale. Set inSindh andMakran, the tragedy follows the story of a faithful lover who endures many difficulties while seeking her beloved husband who was separated from her by rivals.[3]
It is one of the seven popular tragic romances ofSindh. The other six areUmar Marvi,Momal Rano,Sohni Mehar,Lilan Chanesar,Sorath Rai Diyach, andNoori Jam Tamachi.[4] InPunjab, it is among four of the most popular romances. The other three areHeer Ranjha,Sohni Mahiwal andMirza Sahiban.[5][6][7][8]
The earliest mention of this tale is in the texts ofQazi Qadan. Later it is mentioned inKarim Jo Risalo ofShah Abdul Karim of Bulri, the great-great-grandfather of the legendary poet of Sindh,Shah Latif of Bhit. The story appears inShah Jo Risalo and forms part of seven popular tragic romances fromSindh, commonly known asthe Seven Queens of Sindh, or the Seven heroines ofShah Abdul Latif Bhittai.[9][10] Later it was retold byHashim Shah in Punjabi.[11]
_and_Sasui_and_Punhun_(below)_in_a_tomb_in_the_necropolis_of_Mian_Nasir_Muhammad_Kalhoro_in_Sindh.jpg)
Punnhun (also spelt asPunnu) was the son of Jam Aali or Ari, aBaloch ruler ofKech,Balochistan.[12][13][14]Sassui (also spelt asSassi) was the daughter of the Raja ofBhambore inSindh (now in Pakistan). Upon Sassui's birth, astrologers predicted that she was abane on the royal family's honour. The Raja ordered that the child be put in a wooden box and thrown in theSindhu Darya. A washerman of theBhambore village found the wooden box and the child inside. The washerman believed the child was a blessing from God and took her home. As he had no children of his own, he decided to adopt her.
Sassui grew up to be as beautiful as the fairies of heaven. Stories of her beauty reached Punnu and he became desperate to meet Sassui. The handsome young Prince, therefore, travelled to Bhambore. He sent his clothes to Sassui's father (a washerman) so that he could catch a glimpse of Sassui. When he visited the washerman's house, they fell inlove at first sight. Sassui's father was dispirited, hoping that Sassui would marry a washerman and no one else. He asked Punnhun to prove that he was worthy of Sassui by passing the test as a washerman. Punnhun agreed to prove his love. While washing, he tore all the clothes as, being a prince, he had never washed any clothes; he thus failed the agreement. But before he returned those clothes, he hid gold coins in the pockets of all the clothes, hoping this would keep the villagers quiet. The trick worked, and Sassui's father agreed to the marriage.
Punnhun's father and brothers were against his marriage to Sassui (Punnhun being a prince and she being a washerman's daughter) and so, for their father's sake, Punnhun's brothers travelled to Bhambore. First, they threatened Punnhun but when he didn't relent, they tried more devious methods. Punnhun was surprised to see his brothers supporting his marriage and on the first night, they pretended to enjoy and participate in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnhun to drink different types of wines. When he was intoxicated they carried him on a camel's back and returned to their hometown of Kech.
When Sassui woke up the following morning, she realized that she was cheated by her brothers-in-law. She became mad with the grief of separation from her beloved and ran barefoot towards the town of Kech Makran. To reach it, she had to cross miles of desert. Alone, she continued her journey until her feet were blistered and her lips were parched from crying "Punnhun, Punnhun!". The journey was full of dangerous hazards. She was thirsty when she saw a shepherd coming out of a hut. He gave her some water to drink. Seeing her incredible beauty, he tried to force himself on Sassui. Sassui escaped and prayed to God to hide her. God listened to her prayers, the land shook and split and Sassui found herself buried in the valley of mountains. When Punnhun woke inMakran he could not stop himself from running back to Bhambore. On the way, he called out "Sassui, Sassui!" to which the shepherd told Punnhun the whole story. Punnhun also lamented the same prayer, the land shook and split again and he was also buried in the same mountain valley as Sassui.[15] The legendary grave still exists in this valley.Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai sings this historic tale in his Sufi poetry as an example of eternal love and union with the divine.[16] But according to the retoldPunjabi tale byHashim Shah, Sassui dies while crossing the desert.[citation needed]
TheKech Makran is located along the Makran Coastal Highway inBaluchistan,Pakistan. The fort of Punnhun whose construction dates back to 6000-8000BC is located there.[17]
Sassui and Punnhun's alleged graves are located nearLasbela, Balochistan, 45 miles west ofKarachi.[18][19]
The folk tale has been filmed many times including:
The British musicianPanjabi MC references the tale of Sassi in his 2003 songJogi.[22] The "King ofQawali",UstadNusrat Fateh Ali Khan, mentions Sassi in a verse of one of his most famous songsTum Ek Gorak Dhanda Ho written by the poetNaz Khialvi. The Pakistani singer-songwriterBilal Saeed also mentions Sassi in his song12 Saal.
Sasui Puno is a play written inSindhi by Indian writerRam Panjwani.[23]