The ballad of Dhola and Maaru was composed in the 16th century by Kallol, a poet who lived during the reign of Raval Hariraja of Jaisalmer, in Dingal, the language used by the ancient bards of Rajasthan.

Dhola and Maru were married in their childhood at Pushkar, and as was wont in those days, carried on living in their separate homes. Subsequently, when in his youth, Dhola married Malvani, a princess of Malwa. On hearing this, Maru was overcome by grief, and in desperation asked the birds to carry her messages of love to Dhola. Seeing her sorrow, her parents asked their bards to visit Dhola's home in Marwar and remind him through their heart rending songs, of the pangs of separation being felt by Maru, his child bride of yesteryear. Dhola was so moved by their songs that he hurried to Maru's home on the swiftest camel. After spending a few days with her, Dhola brought her to his home in Marwar, when his once child bride and the bride of his adult years, Maru and Malvani lived together as one happy family.

Here the couple is shown as per their traditional iconography, mounted on a camel, the preferred means of transport in the deserts of Rajasthan during the medieval times.