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Monkey's Divine Funeral: 4,000 Attend Hanuman-Inspired Feast in MP Village

A remarkable gathering of 4,000 people occurred in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district for a monkey's funeral feast. Villagers believed the monkey was an incarnation of Lord Hanuman and performed complete Hindu rituals typically reserved for humans. The community raised significant funds to prepare a massive feast including puris from five quintals of flour and curry from 100 liters of buttermilk. This isn't the first such event, as a similar monkey funeral attracted 1,500 attendees in the same district back in 2022.

Key Points: 4000 Villagers Attend Monkey Funeral Feast in Madhya Pradesh

  • Monkey died from electrocution by high-tension power line twelve days earlier
  • Village Patel Biram Singh Sondhiya led rituals including ash immersion in Shipra River
  • Community raised one lakh rupees for feast serving thousands of attendees
  • Similar 2022 incident saw 1,500 people honoring another sacred monkey
  • Traditional Hindu rites included DJ procession and head shaving rituals
2 min read

4,000 villagers attend monkey's funeral feast in MP district

Over 4,000 people gathered in Rajgarh district for a monkey's funeral feast, treating the animal as Lord Hanuman's incarnation with full Hindu rituals.

"The monkey was treated symbolically as a family member - Village Report"

Rajgarh, Nov 19

In an unusual event, more than 4,000 people on Wednesday attended a 'mrityu bhoj (funeral feast)' for a monkey in a village in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district. Villagers believed the monkey to be an incarnation of Lord Hanuman, and performed all rituals typically reserved for human family members.

Twelve days ago, the monkey died after being electrocuted by a high-tension power line. On November 8, villagers decorated the monkey’s bier and organised a funeral procession accompanied by a DJ, with the entire village participating. The monkey was later cremated at Shanti Dham, following traditional Hindu rites.

After eleven days, villagers, including the village Patel, Biram Singh Sondhiya, travelled to Ujjain to immerse the ashes in the Shipra River. Priests performed the rituals, and the monkey was treated symbolically as a family member, with even the shaving of the “beard” and the traditional eleventh-day ceremony being observed.

Upon returning to Darawari, villagers organised a large funeral feast on the twelfth day. They raised nearly one lakh rupees in donations for the event. The feast included 'puris' prepared from about five quintals of flour, 40 kilograms of sev, curry made from 100 litres of buttermilk, one quintal of sugar, and a variety of vegetarian dishes. Invitations were sent out to neighbouring villages, and more than 4,000 people from areas within a 30-35 kilometre radius attended.

A similar incident took place in 2022, when around 1,500 residents of Dalupura village in Rajgarh district performed the last rites of another monkey. A youth named Hari Singh even shaved his head as part of the ritual mourning process. The monkey in that case was not a pet but a frequent visitor to the village. In many parts of India, monkeys are considered sacred due to their association with Lord Hanuman.

Following those rites, villagers had raised funds and organised a feast for more than 1,500 people, printing and distributing invitation cards for the occasion.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
While I respect the religious sentiments, spending 1 lakh rupees on a monkey's funeral feast when many villages lack basic amenities seems excessive. The devotion is admirable but the resources could have been better utilized.
A
Arjun K
This shows the deep-rooted cultural values in our rural India. The fact that 4000 people attended shows how much faith people have in Hanuman ji. Jai Bajrangbali! 🐒
S
Sarah B
As someone visiting India, I find this fascinating! The cultural significance and community participation is incredible. Five quintals of flour for puris - that's some feast! The community spirit is amazing.
V
Vikram M
The real issue here is the electrocution by high-tension wires. Instead of just performing rituals, we need to ensure such incidents don't happen. Electricity department should install proper safety measures to protect wildlife.
A
Ananya R
This reminds me of my grandmother's village where every living being is treated with respect. The complete rituals - from cremation to asthi visarjan in Shipra river - shows how seriously they took this. Beautiful tradition!
M
Michael C
The community organization is impressive - from collecting donations to managing food for 4000 people. This shows how strong rural social networks are in India. The DJ and invitation cards add

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