Great Love Stories.. 'Laila Majnu'

Today I'm going to start a series post of love stories of great zeal being told in India since forever. Some of the characters are part of India and some of them belong to the neighbour nations. Whatever the condition is, one thing is too sure, that these love stories are full of passion, sacrifices and dedication. The stories made us realize the facets of love. Stories which have successfully withstood the test of time. Stories which made us cry and proud, stories which gave us strength and made us weak at the same time.. Stories like....

Layla and Majnun or Laila Majnu

Gist for quick readers: The story of Laila and Majnu was originally depict in the poetry written by medieval Iranian poet, Nizami of Ganje. The story goes like this- Laila and Qays were childhood friends and they fell for each other while studying at the school. Their love affair soon came into open to attract the rage of their families. Both families restricted the young lovers to see each others. Disappointed, Qays banished himself in the desert and find comfort in the company of animals. His eccentric behavior had earned him the name of Majnu, which means madman. Such selfless was their love that they did not hesitate for even a minute when it came to laying down their lives for each other. Even today, people know them as Laila Majnu; the "and" in between is missing.

Love Story of Laila Majnu 

Laila and Majnu is an eternal love story that has a tragic end. These two young lovers sacrificed their love for each other, their love story remained incomplete in the midst of feuding clans. Although it is of Iranian origin, the story of Laila and Majnu is immensely popular in India. It has been told many times and various versions of the story are still being told at different parts of India. The star-crossed lovers immortalized their feeling of love for each other by giving away their lives in the name of love. Their agony is felt by many in their hearts even today, when the heart-rending saga of Laila and Majnu is narrated to them. The story of Laila-Majnu has several variations. In India, it is believed that Laila and Majnu breathed their last in a village in Rajasthan, where they took refuge. Their graves are believed to be located in Bijnore village, near Anupgarh in the Sriganganagar district. A rural legend in the area holds that Laila and Majnu originally belonged to Sindh, from where they escaped to these parts of India and finally, died in the Indian territory. 

Story says Laila Al-Aamiriya was a beautiful girl born in a rich family. Being no less than a princess, she was expected to marry a wealthy boy and live in grandeur and splendor. But as they say, love thinks from the heart and she fell in love with Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, a poor lad. Their passionate love for each other knew no bounds and no logic. They met in school for the first time. Majnu is captivated by Laila’s beauty and falls in love in her. He was sure of this love on the very first day he laid his eyes upon her at maktab (traditional school).  He soon began to write beautiful love poems about Laila and he would read them out loud on street corners to anybody who would care to listen.  Such passionate displays of love and devotion caused many to refer to the boy as Majnu, meaning madman. He is beaten by the schoolteacher for being more attentive to Laila than studies.

As their families learn about this, the lovers were banished from seeing each other. However, they meet when they grow young. One day, Majnu found the courage to ask Laila’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage, but her father refused the request due to social boundaries. Laila is married off to some other man. Majnu was overcome with grief and abandoned his home and family and disappeared into the wilderness where he lived a miserable life of solitude among the wild animals. She couldn't bear the separation either and committed suicide. He immediately travelled to the place where Layla had been buried and there he wept and wept until he too surrendered to the impossible grief and died at the graveside of his one true love.

‘I pass by these walls, the walls of Laila

And 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.’  

Translated poetry

Another variation of the romantic tale of In other versions It is said that Laila and Majnu were in deep love, but Laila’s brother and parents were not in favour of this relationship and Laila did not want to part with Majnu and her family was not supporting their relationship, therefore Laila and Majnu ran away from Sindh and settled in Binjor (India). And after some time both of them died there. People of Binjor buried both Laila and Majnu there itself and made a tomb there. Couple visit this tomb and seek blessings for their love life from Laila and Majnu.

Thank you for reading

Mugdha