Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-09-08
iSoINs sAcRED MONKEY TEMPLE.


IN Edince where Long Inlted 8uAdrupe6s
Live Free From Interference.
Among the thousand OF more temples
and shyines with which the holy Hindoo
city Of Benares Ia endowed, visitors gem
orally find the great temple dedicated to
the worship OF the goddess Durga one of
the most interesting. IL u known to
Europeans as the monkey temple, be-
cause in and around its precincts many
hundreds OF sacred monkeys roam about
without interference. The temple is sit
mated In the southern extremity Of the
fity. II was erected during the last CEN
tury by the Rance Bhawani Of Natre, In
honor Of Siva's wife, the terrific god
dess who Is supposed to delight in death
and slaughter. and OF whom the poor be-
levers In the various attributes of the
-deities comprising the Hindoo pantheon
stand in the greatest dread. A corre-
rpondent Of the London Graphic writes
ss follows regarding the place:
"The Durga Kund Is conspicuous In
this city Of temples for the grace and
simplicity Of its architecture. 1t adjoins
tank which is the finest In Benares
and occupies the central portion Of a
quadrangle. the walls being stained red
with ocher. The sacred portion of the
temple consists Of ~ finely carved pill
lars standing on a marble platform and
supporting heavy roof. The platform
Is about four feet from the ground and
Is ascended by fight of low steps on
each side Of the square. The temple ID
well provided with the necessary instru-
ments for creating the frightful noises
which emanate from these abodes ol
idolatry all over India. Drums Of huge
dimensions, gongs. bells and tomtoms
are all ut the service of the priests In
performing the rites required of them
But the antics of the monkeys which
make this temple their home are, next
to its architecture, the most attractive
feature Of the place.
"The goats blood with which the walls
are sprinkled and the sacrifices that are
known TO take place here 10 appease ths
wrath Of silva and his terrifying spouse
are rather revolving TO a Christian, hui
the grotesque play of the monkeys, theil
importunate begging, the pranks they
enact on one another and the graceful
| agility they are constantly displaying
supply q perpetual source Of amusement
which one Is apt TO think must provs
rather distracting to the devout Hindooi
who come here TO worship. These sa
cred monkeys are of the genus Semno
pethecus entellus, popularity known a
the long tailed Indian monkey.
"A few years ago. as no one dared Il
modest these animals, they not only In
creased rapidly in numbers, but. grow
ing to be extraordinarily bold. develope'
alarming thieving propensities. Tn
annoyance they caused amounted to
public nuisance, for no house in tn
place was safe from their depredations
At last the trouble grew 80 serious tina
some reduction in the number of thes
adept thieves became necessity, q
though the prejudices Of the people wer
against any such steps being taken. /
the end the government was requeste
to interfere, and waving aside all othe
considerations bat that of public polit
the authorities had many hundreds--rs
port says many thousands-capture
and sent away. Nevertheless there ar
plenty Of them left, and they certainl
constitute one Of the sights of cit
that is probably in many respects th
most interesting In the world