Sohni Mahiwal is one of most tragic love story of Punjab. The beautiful girl Sohni was born to a potter named Tulla (Toolha). They were from the Kumhar caste, and lived in Gujrat, Punjab. At the time, Gujrat, on the river Chenab, was a caravansary on the trade route between Bukhara and Delhi.
As Sohni grew up, she helped her father in pottery . Their shop is said to have been near Rampyari Mahal by the river. As soon as the Surahis (water-pitchers) and mugs came off the wheel, she would draw artistic designs on them and set them up for sale. Shahzada Izzat Baig, a rich trader from Bukhara (Uzbekistan), came to Punjab on business and halted in Gujrat. Here he saw Sohni at the shop and was completely smitten. Just to get a glimpse of Sohni, he would end up buying the water pitchers and mugs every day. Sohni too lost her heart to Izzat Baig. Instead of returning to Bukhara with his caravan, the noble-born Izzat Baig took up the job of a servant in the house of Tulla. He would even take their buffaloes for grazing. Soon, he came to be known as "Mahiwal"
The love of sohni and mahiwal was not acceptable for their families so they immediately got sohni married with another potter. Sohni went to see Mahiwal every night while crossing the river with the help of earthen pot. But one day her sister in law exchanged that pot with a pot of unbaked pot. While Sohni was crossing the river that pot dissolved in water and she drowned and died.
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