A a very famous legend of love from the north Indian state of
Rajasthan. The ballad of Dhola and Maaru was composed in the
16th century by Kallol, a poet who lived during the reign of
Raval Hariraja of Jaisalmer, in Dingal, the language used by the
ancient bards of Rajasthan. Dhola Maaru is an inspiring tale
that begins with the chance meeting of two Maharajahs at a
religious festival in Pushkar. Immediately becoming friends,
they invite each other to their palaces, which are several
hundred miles apart. One of the Maharajahs has a very young son
named Dhola, while the other has a daughter of the same age,
Maaru. The two Maharajahs decide to bond their alliance with the
marriage of Dhola and Maaru. The wedding takes place, and the
two young children are married in grand fashion. Several years
pass. Dhola, as he was too young at the time of the wedding to
remember, is unaware of his marriage to Maaru. One day, Dhola's
father gets a tempting marriage proposal for his son from a very
rich Maharaja. Greed gets th