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A division bench of the Andhra Pradesh high court has issued directions for the safety of a monkey that is being confined to a Hanuman temple in Anantapur district in the belief that it is an incarnation of the deity.
The bench comprising Justice B Sudershan Reddy and Justice Ghulam Mohammed on Wednesday directed the endowments commissioner to send officers to the temple to investigate the case, take necessary action, and report to the court in a week.
The judges also directed the Anantapur district administration to send a team of veterinarians to examine the monkey in the Jai Hanuman temple at Thimmannagaripally and give it medical aid.
They asked the endowments department officials and the Anantapur superintendent of police to provide proper assistance to the veterinarians.
The bench was dealing with a writ petition filed in the public interest by Karuna, a voluntary organisation.
Ever since the monkey entered the temple on August 1, it has been treated as a deity. Hundreds of people from Anantapur, neighbouring districts, and even neighbouring Karnataka have been visiting the temple and offering garlands and coconuts to the animal in the belief that it is Hanuman's incarnation. Initially, the monkey accepted fruits from the devotees, but of late it has stopped eating.
Despite its plight, the throngs of 'devotees' are not letting the monkey leave the sanctum sanctorum. Its health has deteriorated and its feet have swollen, but attempts to give it medical aid have been thwarted, Karuna said. The poor animal has no escape while some people make money exploiting the blind faith of the surrounding villagers.
Incidentally, the temple, located 15km from the block headquarters of Lepakshi, was deserted for nine months after a clash between two factions in the village. Regular puja was resumed at the temple only after someone found the monkey perched on the idol of Hanuman and took it to be an incarnation.
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