Singh, Udit Narayan

(r. 1796–1835) Maharaja of Benares
whose reign saw the first performances
of the Ram Lila at his palace in
Ramnagar. The Ram Lilas are dramatized versions of the epic Ramayana,
which transcend simple theater to
become a form of worship. The Ram
Lila at Ramnagar, the fort that is home to
the kings of Benares, is the most famous
and traditional of all these Ram Lilas.
According to tradition, the Maharaja
was a great devotee (bhakta) of the god
Rama and a patron of the Ram Lilas in
Benares itself, but on several occasions
found it difficult to get across the
Ganges because of the seasonal flooding. As a solution to the problem, he
sponsored his own Ram Lila—no doubt
also symbolically intended to reinforce
his kingship—which has become the
oldest, most traditional, and most
important Ram Lila in Benares. Udit
Narayan Singh finalized the
locations of the Ram Lila, which is
performed throughout the city, whereas
his son Ishvari Prasad Narayan Singh
was responsible for writing the
dialogues (samvads) spoken by the
characters. For further information see
Anaradha Kapur, Actors, Pilgrims, Kings,
and Gods, 1990.