Between Trees and Temples: Monkeys in India
In India, monkeys are an important part of the country's ecology and culture, contributing to its varied environment in both beneficial and difficult ways. By spreading seeds through the fruits they consume, monkeys play a vital role in the ecology. They help different plant species develop, which contributes to preserving the biodiversity of forests. There are many different kinds of monkeys in India, but the two most prevalent species are the Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata) and the Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta). The latter is an Old-World monkey species known by the common name "rhesus monkey". They are brown primates with pink faces and red rears. Their heads are covered in closely trimmed hair. They make a lot of noise and are quite animated. Rhesus is smaller than the Bonnet Macaque. Unlike Bonnets, rhesus do not have longer tails. Their tails are short and stumpy. The Bonnet monkey gets its name from the tuft of long hair that appears like a cap, or "bonnet," on the head. It has a hairless pink face.
Their geographic distributions are considerably different, although having comparable ecology and behaviour: the bonnet macaque is confined to peninsular India such as Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Rainforest of the Deccan Plateau, whilst the rhesus macaque is found throughout north and northeastern India. They wander around and look for food in several different urban areas such as Delhi, Mathura, Gwalior, Jaipur, Patna, and others as well as in the wilderness of north and northeastern parts of India.
Like the rhesus monkey, the bonnet monkey can be found in cities as well as in rural regions of South India. They are the most prevalent monkey species here. If you visit Bengaluru's Bannerghatta National Park, you will find them wandering around. I did and I was certainly enchanted by their antics.
- Rhesus Macaque
Size: Smaller than bonnets
Head: very short hair on the head
Pink Face
Red Rear
Tail: Short and stumpy
Geographical Distribution: North India and northeastern India
- Bonnet Macaque
Tuft of hair that seems as if it is wearing a bonnet or a cap
Face: pink and hairless
Long tail
Geographical Distribution: South India and the Deccan
Another very common type of monkeys found in India is the Hanuman Langur (Semnopithecus Entellus). Asiatic langurs are a subspecies of Old-World monkeys distinguished by its unique appearance and social interactions. Because they primarily dwell in trees, langurs are arboreal. The Indian Gray Langur or the Hanuman langur, is easily recognized by its long tail and black face and ears. It inhabits a range of environments and is frequently found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
In the Western Ghats of South India, Lion-Tailed Macaques are native to the region. Sadly, these creatures are threatened with extinction.
Religious Beliefs:
Hindu mythology has a long history of relating to monkeys. Hinduism holds great respect for Hanuman— the monkey god—renowned for his fidelity, fortitude, and selfless service to Lord Rama. The story of Hanuman's adventures is narrated in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. He is one of the principal characters in the epic. A monkey's face and tail are common anthropomorphic depictions of Hanuman. He is a hybrid of the langur, the rhesus monkey, and the human. It is inconceivable to say that this creature, with its langur-like tail and rhesus-like face, is a member of any one species. The surroundings around some temples are frequently home to monkeys, and there are temples which are specifically devoted to Hanuman where the Hanuman devotees offer food to monkeys there out of reverence.
Three Wise Monkeys:
There is a widely recognized emblem in India that is connected to both the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and the monkey. "Gandhiji ke Teen Bandar" or the three wise monkeys of Gandhiji alludes to the well-known maxim of Mahatma Gandhi, which is, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Three monkeys, one for each of these concepts, are commonly used to symbolize this concept. The monkeys are shown with their eyes, ears, and mouth covered. The Gandhian philosophy of three monkeys have Japanese analogues called "Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru."
European explorers who visited medieval India left behind fascinating information on the local flora and wildlife and on the human-animal interactions. One of the things that really grabbed the attention of a 17th c. German traveller, Johan Albrecht von Mandelso while he visited Ahmedabad in modern-day Gujarat was the presence of large monkeys in the city and its suburbs. Some of them were as huge as greyhounds and were strong enough to attack a man. However, in the city both humans and the monkeys coexisted and he credits it to a Hindu belief which advocate against harming these creatures. As per the belief ‘the merriest and the best humoured souls among men returned into the bodies of apes after death’. He further adds that the monkeys caused havoc to the fruit vendors. Mandelso counted 150 monkeys at the English factory house at Ahmedabad, busy playing among themselves.
Edward Terry who also visited India in the 17th century as chaplain to Sir Thomas Roe, an English ambassador to the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir shows the other side of the story of the interactions between humans and animals. He speaks of the use of tamed monkeys in performing tricks and entertaining people.
And then we have the remarks of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French merchant who writes in his account that how there were particular communities who were extremely dedicated to animals:
The Banians have a great veneration for monkeys, and they even feed them in some pagodas where they go to worship. There are in Ahmedabad two or three houses which serve as hospitals, especially for cows, oxen, monkeys, and other sick and disabled animals, and they convey there all that they are able to find, and feed them.
In fact, Tavernier recounts that Baniyas of Ahmendabad would not tolerate the act of harming or killing monkeys in Ahmedabad. Once a Dutchman, who "was ignorant of the customs of the country" in order to flaunt how skilled he was at shooting, shot a large monkey dead. This caused a lot of uproar among the Baniyas who were in the service of the Dutch East India Company and threatened to resign. It was only after several apologies that the matter was resolved.
Tavernier like Mandelso also underlines the havoc caused by the monkeys in Ahmedabad:
...on every Tuesday and Friday all the monkeys in the neighbourhood of Ahmedabad, of their own instinct, come in a body to the town, and ascend the houses, each of which has a small terrace where the occupants sleep during the great heat. On each of these days they do not fail to place upon these little terraces rice, millet, sugar-canes in their season, and other similar things ; for if by chance the monkeys did not find their food on the terraces, they would break the tiles with which the rest of the house is covered, and cause great damage.
Apart from European accounts, there are a number of medieval Indian literary works that focus attention on the flora and fauna of the land. One such noteworthy text is Tuzuk-i-Baburi or Baburnama, written by Babur who not only laid the foundation of the Mughal empire, but he was also a keen observer and provides a valuable information on India's ecology in his memoirs. Like Terry he talks about the taming of monkeys to make them perform some tricks and entertain people so that gypsies could earn their livelihood and that such monkeys were taken to his home region in the Fargana Valley (in parts of present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgystan) in Transoxiana for the same purpose. He also describes langurs, with whitish fur, black limbs and jet-black face.
Human-Wildlife Conflict:
As we saw historically, human-wildlife coexistence and conflict both were evident. In today's world, with the rapid population growth and pressure on economy, human encroachment on wildlife habitats have increased enormously. Human-animal interactions have become more acute due to increased urbanization, places of worship situated on hills, forests, and other biodiversity-rich areas.
Parasnath Hills which consist of a range of hills in Giridih district of Jharkhand are home to a variety of natural vegetation and wild fauna including Rhesus monkeys and Langurs.
Parasnath Hills are also a sacred site for Jains as it is believed that twenty of the 24 Jains' Tirthankaras (enlightened spiritual gurus who are free of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth) attained nirvana (ultimate salvation) here. As a result of this belief, there are a number of Jain temples on these hills. Therefore, it has developed as a major pilgrimage site for Jains as well as a tourist place for other communities. It's not uncommon to see monkeys on these hills.
With their habitats shrinking extensively, the animals are forced to enter human settlements more than before. There have been disputes as a result of monkeys living close to human settlements. In their quest for food, they frequently intrude into residential areas, inflicting harm to property and crops.
Monkeys have gotten more accustomed to living in urban centers, which has enhanced interactions. Because of their raids on homes and crops, they are occasionally seen as pests, which makes it difficult for humans and wildlife to coexist.
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