(“own-form”) Svarup
is the term for the child performers (often brahmin boys) who portray the gods
and goddesses in famous religious dramas like the Ram Lila, which is based on
the narrative of the Ramayana.
Seeing these plays is not just a sort of entertainment, but
also a type of religious devotion, since such dramas are seen to be methods for
the gods to show themselves to their believers (bhakta).
When the performers are dressed in costume and wearing
crowns, like in the Krishna lilas at Brindavan, they are regarded to be
manifestations of the god, revealed within the setting of the lila.
Time set aside for darshan, in which the performers sit
absolutely still for the spectators to watch them as an act of devotion, in the
same manner that people would connect with an image in a temple, is a typical
part of such performances as an indication of this status.