Monkeys of Vrindavan: spectacles, bags and a calm smile

The short answer first

Carry nothing loose, remove your glasses before you enter the lanes, and do not look at a monkey or show it food. Keep a hand on your bag, hold a phone only when you need it, and stay calm. If something is taken, do not chase it. A monkey who is chased becomes a monkey who bites, and the item is rarely worth the risk.

Most visits pass without any trouble at all. The monkeys are clever and mostly want food and easy things to grab.

How it works on the ground

Monkeys cluster where there is food and a crowd: the lanes around Banke Bihari, the grove walls of Nidhivan and Seva Kunj, the steps at Madan Mohan, the ghats, and the outer walls at ISKCON. They watch for plastic bags, which they take to mean prasad, and for anything shiny that dangles. A monkey does not usually attack. It snatches, runs, and looks to see if you will bargain.

Locals say that in some lanes a stall-keeper will trade a packet of juice or biscuits to get a monkey to drop what it holds. This is a common local practice, so ask the shopkeeper nearby, not a stranger. Never offer anything yourself.

It helps to know that the monkeys of this region are mostly rhesus macaques, which live in troops and have a strict order. The big male at the front is the one to avoid, and the small ones at the back are often only curious. If you see several together, take a different lane.

Common mistakes and the calm fix

The usual mistakes are holding a plastic prasad bag openly, wearing glasses on the forehead, taking a selfie in the lane and staring back when a monkey stares. The calm fix is to put prasad in a cloth bag or inside your jacket, tuck glasses in a case, and keep walking with your eyes on your path.

If a monkey approaches, turn slightly to the side, hold your bag closer and do not wave. Showing teeth, as in a smile, can read as a threat to a monkey, so a closed, pleasant face is better. Walk to a shopkeeper or sevak and wait.

Why the monkeys are tolerated

In Braj the monkeys are not seen as pests alone. Many people link them with Hanuman, and the old belief is that animals of the dham are part of the dham. This is why you rarely see anyone drive them off with force, and why long-time residents speak of them with a kind of weary affection.

The point is the tone. In Vrindavan, everyone treats a monkey like a neighbour with bad manners, and that mood is the best protection. Be firm with your belongings, gentle with your voice and unhurried in your step.

Glasses, snacks, kids

Spectacles are the favourite target. Wear them on a strap, or leave them in a hard case in your inner pocket and use them only inside the temple. Contact lenses and a cap are the simplest alternative. Snacks should stay in the cab or at your stay, and children should not be allowed to hold food in the lane.

Children can find the monkeys charming and want to approach. Teach them in advance: look, do not touch, and never run. Carry small children in your arms in the narrow lanes. If a monkey bites or scratches, wash the wound well with clean water and soap, and see a doctor at once for advice on rabies prevention. Do not wait for symptoms.

Where the monkeys are boldest

At Banke Bihari the danger is the lane itself, where crowds slow you down and the walls give monkeys a place to wait above you. At Nidhivan they sit in the trees and drop to the path as groups arrive. At Madan Mohan they gather on the stairs, and at the ghats they watch for fruit sellers. At ISKCON they stay mostly on the outer walls, and inside the marble courtyard you will find them rarely.

Prem Mandir has fewer, and the Mathura side has fewer still, though the Vishram Ghat lanes and the Dwarkadhish approach have their share. In general, the narrower and older the lane, the bolder the monkey.

If you are worried, begin the day at a broad place such as ISKCON or Prem Mandir to get used to the animals, and keep the old lanes for when you feel at ease.

Checklist

A short list to read on the way to the lane.

• Glasses in a case, or on a strap
• Prasad inside a cloth bag, never in a see-through plastic one
• Phone in an inner pocket, not in your hand
• No eye contact, no food, no waving
• Hold small children in your arms in narrow lanes
• Know the nearest clinic, in case of a bite

Related guides and a lala:Cab helper

The Banke Bihari and Nidhivan guide pages each carry a monkey note and the details of how to enter. A lala:Cab driver can keep your bag in the cab and bring you a plain cap or a small cloth bag for the day. If you are nervous, a guide can walk with you and keep a stick at hand, which is enough to keep most monkeys respectfully away.

Questions, answered