Monkeys at the Sasthamkotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple in Kerala, India, were filmed eating a traditional Onam sadya feast this week [1, 2].
The event highlights a unique local intersection of wildlife and religious practice, where animals are integrated into one of the region's most significant cultural celebrations.
The footage captures the monkeys consuming a variety of traditional dishes served on banana leaves [1, 2]. Among the items provided to the animals were pachadi and payasam, a sweet dessert typical of the festive meal [1, 2].
This practice is not a random occurrence but a rooted local tradition in the Kollam district [2]. Local beliefs link the presence of the monkeys at the temple during the Onam festival to the era of Lord Rama [2]. Because of this historical and spiritual connection, the monkeys are considered a customary part of the annual celebrations [2].
Onam is a major harvest festival celebrated primarily in Kerala, marked by floral carpets, boat races, and the elaborate sadya feast [1, 2]. While the feast is typically a human gathering, the Sasthamkotta Sree Dharma Sastha Temple maintains this specific custom of sharing the meal with the local primate population [2].
The tradition serves as a ritualistic acknowledgment of the animals' role within the temple grounds [2]. By providing the sadya on banana leaves, the temple follows the same serving protocol used for human devotees during the festival [1, 2].
“Monkeys were filmed eating a traditional Onam sadya served on banana leaves.”
This tradition reflects the synthesis of animism and formal Hinduism often found in regional Indian customs. By treating animals as participants in a sacred feast, the temple reinforces a communal bond between the human population and the local ecosystem, framing wildlife not as pests but as spiritual stakeholders in the community's heritage.
