[1] It is a multifaceted story that entails adventure, magic, schemes, beauty, love, ordeals of separation, and above all romantic tragedy.
The story also appears in the Shah Jo Risalo and forms part of seven popular tragic romances from Sindh.
The other six tales are Umar Marvi, Sassui Punnhun, Sohni Mehar, Lilan Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi and Sorath Rai Diyach commonly known as the Seven Queens of Sindh.
The story occurred in the times of Hameer Soomro, the King of Umerkot or Amarkot (now a district in the south-east of Sindh province in Pakistan), possibly in the mid-14th century.
He was a prince from the area near Kashmir, who had heard the legend of Momal's beauty and charm and got so inspired that he pursued the adventure, but when he approached the area where Momal lived, he was not only overpowered by her enchanting beauty but also the tricks and schemes played by her female servants/sisters, who not only robbed that prince of his wealth and material but also so confused him in multiple puzzles that he could do nothing else but save his life and run.
It was a legend that anyone who wanted to be a suitor for Momal would undergo several obstacles, and the one who succeeded in reaching the palace unharmed would possibly be accepted as her consort.
As the history suggested, almost everyone who approached Momal and her sisters/servants was robbed of everything, including their lives excluding a few like the prince from Kashmir who told the stories of his devastation.
As the luck would have it, Rano Mendhro, who was famously intelligent and brave, was the only person to successfully reach the palace, utterly unharmed.
However, King Hameer felt jealous about Rano to have succeeded in overpowering the most beautiful woman in the world he personally knew.
The moment Rano arrived, he mistook Somal as Momal's lover and, in utter disgust, left the palace for Umerkot leaving behind his cane.
[4] In the Greek myth, Sirens, beautiful yet dangerous creatures, lured nearby sailors with their enchanting voices/music and led their ships to wreck on the rocky coast of their island, Anthemoessa, looted and destroyed the seafarers.
The human soul, ruh, longs for Allah and in absolute overpowering self abnegating devotion cares nothing for the world or society and seeks union with divinity in the crazed love experienced by Sufis.
The Momal Rano love story continues to inspire numerous modern songs, including "Dastaan-e-Moomal" by The Sketches from Coke Studio Pakistan (season 11): Episode 5.