The moving love story of Prince Ḍhola and the young girl Māru is a folk ballad from western India known in many oral and written versions. The lovers are separated and finally reunited after many adventures.

Jain monks, who are fond of all types of stories, have copied it many times and are therefore partly responsible for spreading it around India. It is a story with a rich pictorial tradition.

The author of this version is the Śvetāmbara Mūrtipujak monk Kuśalalābha Upādhyāya, who wrote it in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, in 1560 CE (1617 VS). He was affiliated to the Kharatara-gaccha, one of the most numerous monastic orders in Rajasthan.