Maharashtra Monkey Feast: On Hanuman Jayanti, the ‘Vanar Sena’ Sits Together to Share ‘Prasad’
Hanuman Jayanti was celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm across the country. A unique tradition was witnessed in the Akola district of Maharashtra, where monkeys were seated in rows and treated to a special feast.
Maharashtra Monkey Feast: Across the nation, devotees of Lord Hanuman celebrated Hanuman Jayanti today. During this occasion, religious programs and ceremonies were organized at Hanuman temples across various states and districts. An event was organized, and amidst the proceedings, a unique display of devotion emerged from a village in the Barshitakli tehsil of Maharashtra's Akola district. However, the temple priest noted that this is not a first; such a sight is witnessed every year.
On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, a unique food ceremony is organized over the course of three days in the village of Kothali Bujruk, located in the Barshitakli tehsil of Akola district; this feast is served specifically to monkeys. On behalf of the Mungsaji Maharaj Sansthan in this village, the monkeys are treated to a meal consisting of sweets and delicacies of their choice. A remarkable feature of this event is that all the monkeys attending the feast sit in disciplined rows to enjoy their meal.
A 20-Year-Old Tradition
This tradition has been upheld for the past 20 years at the temple, which is situated within a dense forest, and the spectacle of this unique feast is truly a sight to behold. Initially, platters of food are laid out in front of the Sansthan premises. Subsequently—without any formal invitation—the monkeys descend directly from the trees and take their seats in orderly rows. Locals mentioned that, just like every previous year, religious programs were organized here on Hanuman Jayanti this time as well. They further added that, in accordance with local tradition, a feast was hosted for the monkeys. However, they reiterated that this is not an isolated incident; the monkeys are treated to such a feast in this very manner every single year.
What Did the Temple Priest Say?
Ramdas Shinde Maharaj, the priest of the Mungsaji Maharaj Sansthan, remarked that on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, this unique hospitality extended to the "army of monkeys"—along with their disciplined seating in rows—is a phenomenon capable of astonishing even humans. Yet, he noted, such a sight is witnessed here every single year.