Luddan ferries Ranjha across the River Chenab, c. 1850. Gouache with gold and silver, 8.8 x 14.1 cm.

The Punjabi story of Hir and Ranjha is a tale of worldly love, interwoven with the story of the soul's quest for the divine. In this illumination, Ranjha is striving to reach Hir, his beloved. Luddan the terryman, who first refused him passage, now takes him across the River Chenab to the next stage of his quest. (Courtesy of Rita and Gurinder Singh Mann.)