Villagers perform ‘Dasah Kriya’ of monkey after its death in Odisha

Residents of a village in Odisha performed the ‘Dasah Kriya’ of a monkey after it was electrocuted to death. The villagers conducted all the death rituals and later hosted a community lunch in memory of the dead monkey. The heart-warming incident has been reported from Jaguli village under Remuna block in Odisha’s Balasore district.

According to villagers, the ‘languar’ had been living in the village for a few years. It survived on whatever the residents gave and never harmed any children. Unfortunately, the monkey came in contact with an electric wire and died.

So, villagers decided to give it a befitting farewell by conducting dignified last rites.  As per Hindu rituals, the locals took the funeral procession of the monkey as people showered flower petals amid mournful tunes played by the band members.

The monkey was later buried as per the rituals like it is done after a human’s death. The villagers once again assembled on its 10th and 11th-day ceremony and organised a community lunch in remembrance of the languar.

“We have assembled here today to remember the monkey. No one has cooked food in their house. Everyone is so sad because it had a very painful death. It was like our own member,” said a village woman.

Another villager said, “It came in contact with a wire in a transformer. We could not save it as we don’t have any switch. The monkey died by the time electric officials reached the village. We conducted all the rituals for the monkey like it is done for a human being.”

“Community lunch was prepared for around 1100-1200 in the village,” he added.

 

(Reported by Ranjit Pakal, OTV)