Monkey perches itself on minister Ushasri at Kasapuram Hanuman temple

ANANTAPUR: There were some interesting moments at the five-centuries-old historic Lord Nettikanti Hanuman Temple at Kasapuram in Gutakal rural mandal of Anantapur district on Monday. A monkey hopped in and perched itself on the Women and Child Welfare Minister Ushasri Charan while she was participating in the rituals there.

The monkey, harmless to humans, shared the temple prasadam with the minister with its own hand, much to the curiosity of the devotees and the security staff that accompanied the minister. This was when she was being accorded a felicitation and traditional asheervadam at the temple when the daily ritual started in the morning.

Charan, who took charge as minister recently, visited the temple for darshan of Lord Hanuman. The idol had been consecrated by Vijaynagar Empire and the Rajguru of Sri krishna Devaraya as part of the setting up of 732 hanuman temples across South India. At Kasapuram, only one eye of the Lord is visible.

The Kasapuram temple is believed to drive away ghosts that cause problems for the devotees.

Ushasri Charan, MLA from Kalyandurg, arrived at the temple along with her family members and security cover. After she had darshan of Lord Nettikanti Hanuman, the temple priests blessed the minister and took her closer to Hanuman idol.

When the priests were chanting Vedik hymns and the temple authorities were offering prasadam and a Lord Hanuman portrait to the minister, the monkey came in and sat pretty on the minister.

The temple authorities convinced the minister and her security that the monkey was being friendly to the devotees and caused no harm to anyone.

The monkey perched itself on the woman minister till the completion of the traditional rituals. The monkey accepted prasadam and offered it to the minister with its own hands. Soon after its exit from the spot, a video of the scene went viral on social media.

Temple authorities told DC, “More than 100 monkeys live in the temple premises, but this is the only monkey that is friendly to humans and causes no harm. It visits the garbhagudi of Lord Hanuman in the early hours of the day. The priests have to put Sindhura Thilakam on its forehead and offer it prasadam. It eats the prasadam and returns from the garbhagudi.”

The monkey appears in a traditional attire with sindhuram on its forehead. Priests said the temple is famous for its rituals to drive away ghosts from the vicinity of the “affected” people. Hence, a large number of people with some complaints are brought to the temple by their relatives.

"We had a similar experience with the same monkey during our visit to the temple last month," devotees Rishitha and Harshitha said.