Leela Chaanesar

Once upon a time, Khangaru was the ruler of Lakhpat, in the province of Kutch. Unparalleled in chivalry and blessed with good looks, he was powerful and loved. He had a daughter named Konru, who was also an ethereal beauty. The tales of how beautiful she was had reached lands far beyond Lakhpat.

Not far away from Lakhpat was Devalkot, King Chanesar’s fiefdom. Much like Khanguru, he was brave, formidable, a man of his word, and extremely handsome. His chiselled features, tanned skin, broad, tall built, and fine mustache made him “the dream” for many maidens. Once, Konru dressed up for an occasion. She looked at heerself and exclaimed, “Oh wow!"

Her friend commented, "You’re dressed up to the nines, it is almost as if you have won Chanesar”, remarked her friend. 

This was to be the first of many times Chanesar crossed Konru’s mind. The fame of his looks and his charm had already reached her before, however, she had never paid much heed to it.  

Queen Murki, Konru’s mother, found out that her daughter wanted Chanesar, so she spoke to King Khanguru. However, the King was afraid of Chanesar refusing an alliance via marriage. His refusal would be a blow to King Khanguru’s pride, and cost him his respect, so he refused to speak to Chanesar about offering hsi daughter directly.

However, the King and the Queen came up with another plan. Queen Murki and Princess Konru disguised themselves as wealthy businesswomen, and reached Devlakot as a party of merchants. After they reached Devlakot, they befriended a florist, who supplied flowers to the palace, and the King’s quarters. Eventually, Murki and Konru confided in him. A unanimous decision was reached: they would approach Jakhro for advice, Chanesar’s minister, known for his wit and for being clever. . Although at first, Jakhro remained indifferent, later on he cajoled them by telling them to leave everything to God, and rest assured, that he would try his level best to convince Chanesar. 

The next day, amid light conversation, Jakhro spoke to Chanesar about Konru, describing the maiden in words which hit just enough notes in Chanesar to make him curious about this mysterious princess. However, Chanesar told Jakhro that he already had a wife, Leela, and he loved her dearly. Konru, or any other woman was not be mentioned to him ever again. 

Dejected at the refusal, but refusing to give up, Mukri and Konru decided to hide beneath the garb of beggars, and approached Leela. Pleading, they asked her to show kindness, and help them in their time of need. They begged her to give them an opportunity to serve her, as the beloved queen of the great Chanesar.

Leela took pity on them, and inquired about what sort of work they could help her with. Murki said she was an expert at weaving, and Konru told Leela that she was good at housekeeping. Leela employed both of them in the palace. Konru made the rooms of the palace as she wept at her fate, she was so close to the man she wanted, yet she could not have him. One day, as Konru wept, Leela saw her. Concerned, she came to Konru to ask her the reason for her distress. Konru told Leela that she too, had once been a princess, and lived a very lavish life. She had many precious stones and jewels, one of which was a diamond necklace, which shone so brightly when she wore it, that it would light up even a moonless night. 

Leela refused to believe her, and wanted to see proof of Konru’s boasting. On being challenged, Konru pulled out her diamond necklace worth nine lakhs. She put it around her neck and did the clasp. Lo behold! The whole palace dazzled which the brilliance of the necklace. 

Leela loved the necklace, and immediately wanted to buy it from Konru. “It is my treasure, and I am not interested in selling it for all the wealth in the world.” Konru told her. 

“However, you can have it if you let me spend one night with the King!” Konru told Leela. Leela gave in to temptation, and agreed to allow Konru to spend the night with her husband, as long as it got her the necklace. The following night, Chanesar came back to his chambers dead drunk. Leela told him, “This  poor  servant  will  serve  you  and  meet  all  your needs-  she  will  care  for  you  with  all  her heart.” Chanesar frowned, but that was all he was capable of. Leela managed to bring them together and disappeared from the scene.

Little did she know that Murki had made all the arrangements. A Maulana, (Muslim cleric, equivilant of a Priest) was waiting. Konru and Chanesar were wed immediately. Chanesar went through with the ceremony, too drunk to figure out what was going on, and fell asleep on his bed with Konru by his side. In the morning, when Chanesar wokeup, he was quite puzzled to find Konru lying next to him instead of Leela. 

He headed to leave the room, but Murki spoke up. “Where are you going, leaving your wife behind like that?” she said. Chanesar looked at her dumbfounded. “Leela offered a night with you to my daughter for a necklace!” she mocked. 

Angry at Leela for the betrayal, besotted with Konru’s beauty and charm, and hearing of her love for him, he accepted her as his wife. Leela was barred from entering the King’s chambers ever again, and Konru reigned the palace as the favourite queen.

The turn of events ripped Leela apart with guilt. She lost the love her man, and the king, for a necklace! One has to pay for one’s actions after all. There are no healers for heartbreak, nor are their any for the weight of one’s deeds. You have to bear the pain on your own. 

Leela repented, and sang, 

I can not say anything, but withering within, 

Being attracted on an ornament, burning within, 

I lost king myself; wish I meet him again, 

I must meet beloved, else shall die of separation, 

I keep on suffering, may my body go to beloved. 

After losing her husband to another woman, with her pride wounded, Leela left the palace. She hoped and wished that one day, Chanesar would forgive her foolishness. She stopped taking care of herself, and began to hate the expensive garments and fancy ornaments she once loved. Her friends, who had once envied her, and praised her, began to taunt her for driving a wedge between herself and Chanesar, which resulted in her abandonment. 

The only way forward for Leela was to plead for forgiveness. It is not pride, or clothes, or ornaments which capture the heart of the beloved. It is humility which wins love. Women who surrender themselves to the man they want earn the love their heart yearns for.

The melody in the story says, 

What you thought to be an ornament proved the thread of pain, 

Chanesar discarded you and was won by a servant, 

Result of scheming is naught before beloved! 

Leela repents and says: 

I am prepared to forsake ornament; 

I would throw it away,

If I get back my beloved, 

I would feel honored indeed!

Sincere tears of repent are often said to have the power of winning back a beloved. Many years passed, and Chanesar forgot about Leela. As fate would have it, Jakhro, fell in love with a girl from Leela’s village. The engagement was called off because the villager’s refused to marry their daughter off to man who’s friend had abandoned another daughter of the village. 

Jakhro approached Leela and asked him for help. She promised to help him in return for a promise: he would bring Chanesar to her.

Jakhro went back to Devalkot and managed to persuade King Chanesar to attend his wedding.

“Oh King! Your presence in my wedding will bring me honor and prestige. Your grandeur will help, else I shall face utter humiliation. Please come and save my pride, for our in-laws belong to the same village.” he pleaded. 

When the marriage procession reached the outskirts of the village, many veiled women sang and danced as they welcomed the procession. Chanesar was very pleased with the welcome. The voice of the lead singer attracted him, so he approached her. “Your  voice  is  lovely,  your face would be beautiful too.  I command you to remove your veil”. 

When the woman removed her veil, Chanesar was stunned. The old flame in his heart was rekindled. He swooned over her, and wept as he embraced Leela. Leela too, wept compulsively. The couple fell into a coma, from which they never recovered again and their love was immortalised forever. 

Commentary: Leela and Chanesar, is set in Liore or Lihore, Lower Sindh, during the Samma period is about two women. It is a folktale common to both Sindhi and Farsi literature. The Persian version was penned in the Chanesar Nameh by the poet-historian Idraki Beglariunder, in 1601.

Circumstantial evidence tends to show that Chanesar was a Samma chief, some villages in the district of Hyderabad still have a presence of the Dassro sub-clan of the Sammas.

Leela Chanesar is a part of Shah Jo Risalo, the magnum opus of the Sindhi Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Some argue that the figurative poet depicts Chanesar as God and Leela as someone who left God for this world.