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Urmila (), is a
Hindu goddess Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The conc ...
and the princess of
Videha Videha ( Prākrit: ; Pāli: ; Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Videha, the Vaidehas, were initially organised into a monarchy but later ...
in the Hindu epic ''
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages e ...
''. She is considered to be an avatāra of
Nagalakshmi Nagalakshmi () is a serpent goddess and the consort of Shesha, a ''nagaraja'' (king of the serpents) and one of the two mounts of Vishnu featured in Hindu mythology. She is considered to be the personification of the divine ocean called the K ...
, the serpent goddess. Urmila was married to
Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...
and is known for her dedication towards her husband, for her courage and sacrifice. Urmila was born as the daughter of King
Janaka Janaka is a character who appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is an ancient Hindu king of Videha, which was located in the Mithila region. His name at birth was Sīradhvaja, and he had a brother named Kushadhvaja. His father's name was Hr ...
of
Mithila Mithila may refer to: Places * Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state ** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha * Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal ...
and Queen
Sunayana ''Sunayana'' is a 1979 Bollywood family drama film directed by Hiren Nag and produced by Tarachand Barjatya. Cast *Talluri Rameshwari as Sunayana *Vijayendra Ghatge as Dr. Indrajeet *Naseeruddin Shah as Rajoo *Gayatri *Sulochana Latkar *Jagd ...
.
Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, '' Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi ...
, the female protagonist of the epic, is her elder sister. She was married to Lakshmana, after her sister's ''
svayamvara Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'g ...
''. According to a legend, Urmila slept continuously for fourteen years, so that her husband could protect Rama and Sita during the exile. She is notable for this unparalleled sacrifice, which is called ''Urmila Nidra''. Urmila is worshipped is Hinduism, at various places in
India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, alongside her husband.


Etymology

The name Urmila is of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
origin, and could be divided into ''Ur'' meaning waves, and ''mila'', meaning to join''.'' Thus'','' her name means 'waves of passion that unite a couple'. Her name also means 'humble' or 'enchantress'.


Legend


Birth and early life

Urmila was born as the daughter of King
Janaka Janaka is a character who appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is an ancient Hindu king of Videha, which was located in the Mithila region. His name at birth was Sīradhvaja, and he had a brother named Kushadhvaja. His father's name was Hr ...
of
Mithila Mithila may refer to: Places * Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state ** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha * Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal ...
and Queen
Sunayana ''Sunayana'' is a 1979 Bollywood family drama film directed by Hiren Nag and produced by Tarachand Barjatya. Cast *Talluri Rameshwari as Sunayana *Vijayendra Ghatge as Dr. Indrajeet *Naseeruddin Shah as Rajoo *Gayatri *Sulochana Latkar *Jagd ...
. Urmila is considered as the incarnation of
Nagalakshmi Nagalakshmi () is a serpent goddess and the consort of Shesha, a ''nagaraja'' (king of the serpents) and one of the two mounts of Vishnu featured in Hindu mythology. She is considered to be the personification of the divine ocean called the K ...
,
Shesha Shesha (Sanskrit: शेष; ) , also known as Sheshanaga (Sanskrit: शेषनाग; ) or Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod ( Naga) and Nagaraja (King of all serpents), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Pu ...
's consort. In the Garga Samhita, Nagalakshmi is considered to be the personification of the divine ocean called the
Kshira Sagara In Hindu cosmology, the Ocean of Milk (',', ''Malayalam: Pālāḻi'') is the fifth from the centre of the seven oceans. It surrounds the continent known as Krauncha. According to Hindu scriptures, the devas and asuras worked together for a mil ...
and is called as Kshira. Urmila was born on Jaya ekadashi, after her elder sister
Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, '' Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi ...
, was adopted by her parents.
Mandavi Mandavi () is the eldest daughter of King Kushadhwaja and Queen Chandrabhaga in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is the wife of Bharata, a younger brother of Rama. Legend Princess Mandavi has a younger sister, Shrutakirti. Mandavi is married to ...
and
Shrutakirti Shrutakirti () is a princess featured in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is the daughter of King Kushadhvaja and queen Chandrabhaga. She is the wife of Shatrughna, the younger brother of Rama. Legend Shrutakirti is the Princess of Sāṃkāśya ...
are her cousins, who were born to her father's younger brother,
Kushadhvaja Kushadhvaja ( IAST: Kuśadhvaja) is a king in the Ramayana, the younger brother of King Janaka of Mithila. Kushadhvaja's two daughters, Mandavi and Shrutakirti, were married to Rama's younger brothers, Bharata and Shatrughna, respectively. ...
and his wife
Chandrabhaga Chandrabhaga may refer to: Rivers * Chenab River in Punjab, India * Bhima River near Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India * Chandrabhaga River (Purna River) in Maharashtra, India Other uses * Chandrabhaga Dam (Nagpur), Maharashtra, India * Chandrabhaga ...
. According to legends, she was a scholar and an artist .


Marriage to Lakshmana

After
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
won the
svayamvara Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'g ...
of Sita, their marriage was fixed. King
Dasharatha Dasharatha ( Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of the Kosala kingdom and a scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. He ruled from this capital at Ayodhya. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. He ...
arrived in Mithila for his son's wedding and noticed that
Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...
had feelings for Urmila , but according to tradition, Bharata and Mandavi were to marry first. King Dasharatha then arranged for Bharata to marry Mandavi and
Shatrughna ''Shatrughna'' ( sa, text=शत्रुघ्न, translit=śatrughna, lit=killer of enemies) is a prince of Ayodhya, King of Madhupura and Vidisha, and a brother of Prince Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is also known as ''Ripudama ...
to marry Shrutakirti, allowing Lakshmana to marry Urmila. Ultimately, all four sisters married the four brothers, strengthening the alliance between the two kingdoms. The wedding ceremony was conducted under the guidance of Shatananda. During the homeward journey to Ayodhya, another avatar of
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...
,
Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the '' Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appea ...
, challenged Rama to combat, on the condition that he was able to string the bow of Vishnu,
Sharanga Sharanga (Devanagari: शारंग) also spelt as Saranga, is the celestial bow of the Hindu god Vishnu. In South India, the Sharanga is also simply known as the Kodanda, literally meaning bow. Vishnu's avatar Rama is often praised as ''Ko ...
. When Rama obliged him with success, Parashurama acknowledged the former to be a form of Vishnu and departed to perform penance at the mountain
Mahendra Mahendra is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest position) and Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology.{{Citation needed, date=April 2022 It has been used in compound royal styles. History and politics Royalty * Ma ...
. The wedding entourage then reached Ayodhya, entering the city amid great fanfare. According to
Vishwamitra Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mantr ...
, Urmila and Lakshmana equals each other in "grace and heritage". Urmila and Lakshmana had two sons named
Angada Angada ( Sanskrit: अङ्गदः, IAST: Aṅgada) is a legendary vanara in Hinduism. He helps Rama find his wife Sita and fight her abductor, Ravana, in the epic Ramayana. He is the prince of Kishkindha, and is later crowned as the ...
and
Chandraketu Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...
. Urmila is described as being as dedicated to Sita as Lakshmana was to Rama.


Exile and Urmila Nidra

Some time after the wedding,
Kaikeyi Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of ...
compelled Dasharatha to make Bharata king, prompted by the coaxing of her maid
Manthara ''Manthara'' ( sa, मन्थरा; lit: "humpbacked") in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' convinced Queen Kaikeyi that the throne of maharaja belonged to her son Bharata and that her step-son—crown-prince Rama (the hero of the ''Ramayana'')� ...
, and forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and spend a period of exile. Sita and Lakshmana willingly renounced the comforts of the palace and joined Rama in exile. Urmila was ready to accompany her husband, but he asked her to stay back in Ayodhya, so that she could take care of his aging parents and he could serve his brother and his wife. According to a legend, Urmila decided to sleep continuously for fourteen years, so that her husband could protect his brother and sister-in-law. On the first night of exile, when Rama and Sita were sleeping, the deity Nidra appeared before Lakshmana and he requested her to offer him the boon of not sleeping for the fourteen years. The goddess asked him that she could grant his wish, but someone else would have to take his place asleep. Lakshmana asked the goddess to enquire his wife Urmila regarding this, who happily accepted the task. Urmila slept continuously for the fourteen years of exile, to complete the sleep of her and her husband's share. Urmila is notable for this unparalleled sacrifice, which is called ''Urmila Nidra''. Nidra told Lakshman that he would have to go to sleep as soon as the exile ends, so that Urmila could awake. After the exile, Lakshaman went to sleep and Urmila saw the coronation of Rama.


Post exile and later life

Urmila had been sleeping all those years of the exile, as per the boon by Goddess Nidra. When Lakshmana returned from the exile, he woke her up. Urmila opened her eyes and wept with joy when she saw him. Rama was then crowned the King of Kosala. According to the ''
Uttara Kanda The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages e ...
'', Lakshmana had ruled over Karupada, with Urmila as the queen, who advised him on important state matters. Urmila and Lakshmana's elder son Angada, inherited the Kingdom of Karupada, from his father and their younger son Chandraketu, inherited the kingdom of Mallya, being commissioned by Rama.


Death

According to a legend in
Tulsidas Tulsidas (; born Rambola Dubey; also known as Goswami Tulsidas; c.1511pp. 23–34.–1623) was a Ramanandi Vaishnava Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. He wrote several popular works in Sanskrit and Awadhi, but ...
's ''
Ramcharitmanas ''Ramcharitmanas'' ( deva, श्रीरामचरितमानस, Rāmacaritamānasa), is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, based on the '' Ramayana'', and composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas (c. 1532–1623). T ...
'', after Sita and Lakshmana's death, Rama, Bharata and Shatrughan's samadhi, Mandvi and Shrutakirti, became Sati and died after their husband's samadhi. As per the promise given to her sister Sita, Urmila stayed in Ayodhya to look after her son's Angada and Chandraketu, and Sita's sons
Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock ( magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...
and
Kusha Kusha was a Suryavansha The Solar dynasty ( IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98 ...
. After few years, Urmila took samadhi in the
Sarayu river The Sarju ( Kumaoni: सरज्यू, Hindi: सरयू), also known as Saryu, is a major river draining Central Kumaon region in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Originating from Sarmul, Sarju flows through the cities of Kapkot, Bageshwa ...
.


In other versions


Jain version

Urmila is referred to as Prithvisundari in ''Jain Ramayana''. According to Jain storytelling, Lakshmana had around sixteen thousand wives in which Prithvisundari was his principle consort (in the Hindu epic, he had only one wife Urmila).


Mahaviracharita

The Sanskrit play ''
Mahaviracharita ''Mahaviracharita'' ("Exploits of a Great Hero") is a play by the 8th-century Sanskrit playwright Bhavabhuti based on the early life of Rama, the hero of the ''Ramayana'' and venerated as a Hindu deity. It is the first play of Bhavabhuti,Mirashi p ...
'' by
Bhavabhuti Bhavabhūti (Devanagari: भवभूति) was an 8th-century scholar of India noted for his plays and poetry, written in Sanskrit. His plays are considered the equal of the works of Kalidasa. Bhavabhuti was born in Padmapura, Vidarbha, in Gon ...
is based on the early life of Rama. According to the play, Vishwamitra invites Janaka to attend his sacrifice, but he sends his brother Kushadhvaja and daughters Sita and Urmila, as his delegates. This is the place, where Laxman and Urmila meet for the first time. By the end of the act, Kushadhvaja and Vishwamitra decide to marry Sita and Urmila to Rama and Lakshamana.


Portrayal and assessment

Urmila has been portrayed as an ideal wife and an ideal mother known for her sacrifice in various texts, stories, illustrations, movies. She is also portrayed as a devoted and patient wife who waits faithfully for her husband. She is often considered gentle, kind, compassionate and is known for her beauty and grace. The ''
Balakanda ''Bala Kanda'' ( sa, बालकाण्ड; IAST: ', ) is the first book of the Valmiki ''Ramayana'', which is one of the two great epics of India (the other being the ''Mahabharata''). There has been debate as to whether ''Bala Kanda'' was ...
'' chapter of the ''Ramayana'', describe her as "illustrious". Urmila was known for her sincerity towards her husband and her family, but at the same time she stood with what was right. She was the only one who fights for justice for her sister when Sita was banished from Ayodhya. In the ''Ramayana'', Urmila displays patience and fortitude throughout. Her sister, Sita always considered Urmila's sacrifice to be much bigger than that of her.


Temples and worship

Urmila alongside her husband, Lakshmana is worshipped across the country. * In
Bharatpur district Bharatpur District is a district in Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Bharatpur is the District Headquarters, Division Headquarters and Headquarters of Bharatpur Police Range of Rajasthan Police. Bharatpur District is a part of ...
of
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
, there is a temple dedicated to Lakshmana and Urmila. The temple was built in 1870 AD by the then ruler
Balwant Singh of Bharatpur Balwant Singh (1820–1853) was the ruler of the princely state of Bharatpur in India from 1825 till his death, and successor to Maharaja Baldeo Singh. He was in turn succeeded by Maharaja Jashwant Singh Maharaja Jashwant Singh ( hi, � ...
and is considered as a ''Royal Temple'' by the royal family of
Bharatpur State Bharatpur State, which is also known as the Jat State of Bharatpur historically known as the Kingdom of Bharatpur, was a Hindu Kingdom in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. It was ruled by the Sinsinwar clan of the Hindu Ja ...
. * In
Bhind Bhind is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the headquarters of the Bhind district. Demographics As of 2011 Indian Census, Bhind had a total population of 197,585, of which 105,352 were males and 92,233 were females. Populatio ...
district of
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital city, capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar, and Rewa, India, Rewa being the othe ...
, there is another temple dedicated to Lakshmana and Urmila. * In the
Medak district Medak district is a district located in the Indian state of Telangana. Medak is the district headquarters. The district shares boundaries with Sangareddy, Kamareddy, Siddipet and Medchal districts. History Traces of Neolithic and Megali ...
of
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and ...
, there is a temple called Sri Kalyana Ramachandra Sannadhi that is dedicated to Lakshman and Urmila. This temple is the only one in India that has installed statues of Rama's brothers and their wives. * Urmila also appears alongside Lakshmana, Rama and Sita, at the
Ramaswamy Temple Ramaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the prominent temples in the town and also one of the most prominent temples dedicated to Rama in India. This ...
, Kumbakonam, through wall paintings and pillar structures.


Influence and popular culture

Urmila's story and her sacrifice have inspired "painting, film, novels, poems, TV serials and plays". Prominently, she is depicted in all the adaptations of ''Ramayana''.


Films

The following people portrayed Urmila in the film adaptation of ''Ramayana''. * Vasanthi portrayed her in the 1968 Telugu film ''
Veeranjaneya ''Veeranjaneya'' is a 1968 Indian Telugu-language film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. It is a musical film released in 1968, starring Arja Janardhana Rao, Kanta Rao, Anjali Devi and S.V. Ranga Rao. Plot The story is based on the Ramaya ...
''. * Sobha Kiran portrayed her in the 1977 Malayalam film ''
Kanchana Sita ''Kanchana Sita'' (''Golden Sita'') (Malayalam :കാഞ്ചന സീത) is a 1977 Indian Malayalam feature-length film scripted and directed by G. Aravindan. A mythological film, its story was adapted from C. N. Sreekantan Nair's play o ...
''. * Svetha Rao portrayed her in the 1997 Telugu film ''
Ramayanam The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
''. * Isha Gupta portrayed her in the 1997 Hindi film ''
Lav Kush : ''For the TV Show by Ramanand Sagar watch Luv Kush'' ''Lav Kush'' is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language Hindu mythological film, produced by Dilip Kanikaria under the Devyank Arts banner and directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. It stars Jeetendra, Jaya ...
''. * Nayani Dixit voiced her in the 2010 animated Hindi film '' Ramayana: The Epic''.


Television

The following people portrayed Urmila in the television adaptation of ''Ramayana''. * Anjali Vyas portrayed her in the 1987 series ''
Ramayan The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
'' and the 1998 series ''
Luv Kush : ''For the characters of epic Ramayana, see Lava and Kusha.'' Luv Kush (originally called ''Uttar Ramayan'') is an Indian television series that ran from 1988 to 1989. It was created, written, produced, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. It is ...
''. * Monika /
Malavika Shivpuri Malavika Shivpuri is an Indian actress and voice dubbing artiste in Bollywood. She has acted on Indian television in serials like '' Tu Kahe Agar'', ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'', ''Choodiyaan'', ''Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii'' and '' Viraasat' ...
portrayed her in the 1997 series '' Jai Hanuman''. * Vineeta Thakur portrayed her in the 2000 series ''
Vishnu Puran The Vishnu Purana (IAST:, sa, विष्णुपुराण) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manuscri ...
''. * Ashwini portrayed her in the 2002 series ''
Ramayan The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
''. * Meenakshi Arya portrayed her in the 2008 series ''
Ramayan The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
''. *
Garima Jain Garima Jain is an Indian actress, trained singer & Kathak dancer. Working in and known for her roles in primarily television shows, she was featured in ''Guinness Book of World Records'' in 2009 for attempting 1000 rounds in 9 minutes 2 seconds. ...
'' portrayed her in the 2011 series Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev''. * Pallavi Sapra portrayed her in the 2012 series ''
Ramayan The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
''. *
Suhasi Dhami Suhasi Goradia Dhami is an Indian actress and model. She is known for portraying Abha in ''Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli'' and double role as Vedika Mathur and Vedika Pratab in ''Aap Ke Aa Jane Se''.She appeared in KK's music video titled 'Aasma ...
portrayed her in the 2012 mini-series ''
Ramleela – Ajay Devgn Ke Saath ''Ramleela – Ajay Devgn Ke Saath'' (English: ''Ramleela - With Ajay Devgn''), commonly known as ''Ramleela'' is a mythological on-stage musical drama, based on the famous Indian epic poem ''Ramayan''. The show premiered on 21 October 2012 on ...
''.
Sadhna Sargam Sadhana Sargam (née Ghanekar, born 7 March 1969) is an Indian singer known for her playback career in Indian cinema predominantly in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Tamil language films. She is a recipient of the National Film Award and Filmfare Awa ...
voiced for her in the song, "Jaao Na Morey Piya". *
Khyati Mangla Khyati Mangla (born 22 September 1988) is an Indian television actress who appeared in the Hindi television drama series, ''Neem Neem Shahad Shahad'', in which she played the main character of ''Nirali''. Early life Khyati Mangla was born in Ran ...
portrayed her in the 2015 series ''
Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanumaan ''Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanumaan'' is an Indian-Television drama series that aired on Sony Entertainment Television (India) weekly. It depicts the story of Lord Hanuman told from the viewpoint of Lord Shri Krishna and Devi Rukmini. The serie ...
''. *
Yukti Kapoor Yukti Kapoor is an Indian television actress best known for portraying Urmila in ''Siya Ke Ram'' and Ragini Singh in Agniphera and S.I. Karishma Singh in ''Maddam Sir''. Personal life In April 2022, Kapoor stated that she is in a happy relat ...
portrayed her in the 2015 series ''
Siya Ke Ram ''Siya Ke Ram'' ( Sita's Ram) is an Indian TV series on Star Plus produced by Nikhil Sinha under the banner of Triangle Film Company. This show presents the epic ''Ramayana'', the story of Rama and Devi Sita from Sita's perspective. The show fe ...
''. *
Nisha Nagpal Nisha Nagpal is an Indian television actress. She shot to fame with her Indian television debut role of Tanveer Beg in ''Qubool Hai'' opposite Karan Singh Grover but later she was replaced by Amrapali Gupta due to her health issues. In 2014, ...
portrayed her in the 2019 series ''
Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush ''Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush'' (''Ram Siya's Luv Kush'') is an Indian mythological drama television series, which aired on Colors TV from 5 August 2019 to 10 February 2020. The series focused on the story of Rama and Sita as well as their children Lu ...
''. * Vaidehi Nair portrayed her in the 2024 series ''
Shrimad Ramayan ''Shrimad Ramayan'' is an Indian Hindi-language mythological television series that premiered on 1 January 2024 on Sony Entertainment Television. Produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary under the banner of Swastik Productions, the series stars Suja ...
''.


Plays

The following plays portrayed Urmila's suffering in the theatre adaptation of ''Ramayana''. * Urmila played a prominent role in the 1955 play, ''Bhoomikanya Sita'', written by
Bhargavaram Viththal Varerkar Bhargavaram Viththal Varerkar (1883–1964), also known as Mama Warerkar, was a Marathi writer from Bombay Presidency, India. Varerkar was born in 1883 in Chiplun in the Konkan region. He attended high schools in Malvan, Dapoli and Ratnagir ...
. * Meedhu Mrityam portrayed her in Nimmy Raphel's 2023 play titled ''Urmila'', that showcase her struggle with the emotional violence, post her husband's departure to exile. * Her suffering was also portrayed in the "Laxman-Urmila episode" of the 2023 play, ''Prem Ramayan''.


Books

The following novels talks about Urmila's life. * ''Sita's Sister'' by Kavita Kané, published in 2014. * ''Urmila'' by Pervin Saket, published in 2016. * ''The Princess Who Slept For 14 Years'' by Tulika Singh, published in 2018. * ''VISION and RE-VISION - Revisiting Mythologies, Rethinking Women'' by Beena. G. * ''Urmila: The Forgotten Princess'' by Smriti Dewan, published in 2021. * ''Princesses Recall: Stories of Grit and Sacrifice of Shanta, Ruma, Shrutakeerti and Urmila'' by Deepa Hariharan, published in 2021. * ''LakshmiLa : The Eternal Love Story'' by Shubhi Agarwal, published in 2022.


Others

*
Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...
, included Urmila in his article ''Upekshita'', where he wrote about women who were ignored/overlooked. * Hindi poet
Maithili Sharan Gupt Maithili Sharan Gupt (3 August 1886 – 12 December 1964) was one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He is considered one among the pioneers of '' Khari Boli'' (plain dialect) poetry and wrote in Khari Boli dialect, at a time when most H ...
wrote about Urmila's plight after her husband leave for exile, in his 1931 famous poem ''Saket'', that centres upon her life. * Hindi poet Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen praised Urmila, in his 1957 poem ''Urmila'', that centres upon her life and sacrifice. * In 2006, a song titled ''Urmila Devi Nidra'', was published, that talks about her sleeping for fourteen year and also centres upon how Lakshmana is reunited with Urmila.The song of Urmila’s separation: Andhra women’s song spotlights Ramayana’s neglected character
''Manushi'' Retrieved 27 December 2022


References


Further reading


''Valmiki Ramayana'', English verse translation
by Desiraju Hanumanta Rao, K. M. K. Murthy et al.
''Ramayana'', English verse translation
by
Ralph T. H. Griffith Ralph Thomas Hotchkin Griffith (1826–1906) was an English Indologist, a member of the Indian education service and among the first Europeans to translate the Vedas into English. He lived in the UK (Oxford) and in India ( Benares and Nilgiris ...
at the
Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...


External links

{{HinduMythology Solar dynasty Characters in the Ramayana