Monkey Deals & Tricks
Darwin said we descended from apes. Scientists say chimpanzees share nearly 80% of our DNA. Fair enough. India, of course, looked at this theory and said, “Cute. But let us upgrade the script a little.” We gave the world the Ramayana. Lord Rama. Hanuman. An entire monkey army that crossed oceans, burned Lanka and took down Ravana. Since then, our relationship with monkeys has remained beautifully complicated — part devotion, part negotiation, part armed conflict. Even the Discovery Channel once did a full documentary on India’s monkeys. Frankly, they deserved a sequel after meeting the Vrindavan gang. Here’s my classified field report. Last Holi, end of February, I landed in Vrindavan for a photography walk. Our team leader gathered us like a commando unit before insertion into hostile territory. “Seal your cameras.” “Waterproof your gear.” “And for God’s sake… protect your spectacles.” Then came the final briefing. “ The monkeys here are professionals. They steal goggles, ...