AT Photo: Monkeys at Sri Sri Anirudhdhadev Naharati Thaan in Lakhimpur
North Lakhimpur, Nov 27: The resident monkeys at the historic Sri Sri Anirudhdhadev Naharati Thaan in Lakhimpur's Bihpuria have landed in dire straits due a decline in the footfall of devotees over the last six months.
Pilgrims and devotees visit this 17th-century Mayamora shrine throughout the year, but their presence dwindles from the monsoon period till the early winter months. The pilgrims and visitors bring fruits, chickpeas, and lentils to offer as prasad and use a considerable amount of these for the resident monkeys there. But this year, the monkeys are facing a food shortage due to an increase in their population, resulting in their entry into neighbouring villages in search of food.
According to a local villager, there are more than 300 monkeys on the shrine premises, living on the famed nahar trees.
“As the food supplies came down, the starving monkeys started entering the nearby villages and damaging the vegetable gardens there,” a villager told The Assam Tribune.
During the Covid-19 restrictions, these monkeys of the Sri Sri Anirudhdhadev Naharati Thaan had faced a similar crisis as devotees could not visit the shrine. However, food started to pour in following some social media posts by some animal lovers who described the plight of the monkeys at the shrine at that time. After that, people from different parts of the Lakhimpur district visited the Thaan in small groups, bringing food for the monkeys. The posting of such initiatives on social media encouraged people across all faiths and creeds to bring fruits and other food for the monkeys of the historic Mayamora shrine. This time, the managing committee of the Thaan is keeping some extra food for the monkeys, but that seems to be insufficient. The hungry monkeys are also reportedly attacking visitors to the shrine in search of food and creating havoc in nearby villages by damaging vegetables and ripening paddy in the fields.
-By Farhana Ahmed
