What are our first impressions of a monkey? Well, they are tiny, mischievous and may look just like our best friend. But to the people of Lopburi in Thailand, the meaning of a monkey is completely different. The provincial capital of Lopburi is located in central Thailand. It is about 155 kilometres north of Bangkok, and it takes about three hours to drive there from the city. Every year on the last Saturday of November, at the Prang Sam Yod temple, the citizens of Lopburi set up a feast (yes, a literal banquet) for the native macaques. And this is no ordinary feast because they have complete setups of fruits and goodies for the 2000 primates that live in the city.
According to Buddhist traditions, it is believed that monkeys are heroes. The locals consider monkeys to be a symbol of prosperity and good luck. Some regard the monkeys as descendants of the lord Hanuman who is also known as a monkey god. Hanuman was the son of the wind god, he was powerful, brave and ambitious. He was also a very determined soldier who aided lord Vishnu in finding and saving his wife from the clutches of a demon named Raavan. The locals have faith that hanuman still lives among them as these primates and so they value them a lot by giving them something to eat every day.
Monkeys are pretty unpredictable, sometimes they might be soft to you and may not pose any problem but the next thing you know, they are running away with your prescription glasses. This is the case for many people living in Lopburi. The monkey population does not seem to cease anytime and there are more and more naughty little creatures roaming around the busy streets. They disturb the working of the people, destroy electric cables and cause a ruckus but all of this is overlooked because of their cultural significance. People even go out of their way to give them snacks.
The Tourist effect:
The tourist economy of Lopburi has increased significantly over the last thirty years due to this festival. Many tourists flock over to Thailand to watch the amazing performances and of course, the monkeys. The event is also called the ‘monkey party’. This boosts quite a lot of production and many monkeys also depend greatly on what the tourists feed them. The people of Lopburi also plan quite a lot before the festival so that they attract more and more tourists. The food that the tourists carry are usually carbohydrate-rich and sugary in nature, this causes any monkey to become hyperactive and addicted to the taste. The increased access to food and sugar had a drastic effect on the monkey population (sugary foods cause them to breed often).
Current situation:
Due to the pandemic, all tourist activities are shut down completely and there hasn’t been a single visitor to the monkey haven. They are getting agitated and aggressive because a lot of their snacks were provided by the many tourists who visited diligently. Some of them were even sterilized for showing aggressive behaviour. But the locals are trying their level best to take care of the monkeys and welcome their presence. They know how to handle them and look after them so it would be just a matter of time for them to get back to their normal life.
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