Vaar

The Var or Vaar (Gurmukhi: ਵਾਰ, Shahmukhi: وار‎‎), in Punjabi poetry, is a heroic ode or ballad which generally narrates legend such as stories of Punjabi folk heroes or a historical event. Examples include the feats of Dulla Bhatti and Raja Rasalu, Amir Khusrau's Vaar for Ghazi Malik who took the throne of Delhi in 1320, the Vaar of Shaikh Khokhar, and Najabat's Nadar Shah Di Var which describes the invasion of India by Nadir Shah in 1739. The Var has also been used to evoke the mood of devotion or sacrifice, as in Guru Gobind Singh's Chandi di Var, or to narrate the mystical experience of a Pir, Bhagat or Guru.