1 week ago
Kerala Temple Serves Traditional Onam Feast to Resident Monkeys
A temple in Kerala gives its nearby monkeys a special Onam meal.
The meal is called vanara sadya, which means a feast for monkeys.
People serve rice, dal, vegetables, pickles and other festival foods on banana leaves.
The monkeys wait nearby until the people finish serving and move away.
Then one group comes in and eats before another group takes its turn.
A monkey known locally as Murivaalan was described as the first to approach in one account.
The tradition has continued for many decades, with one account saying it began 53 years ago.
Temple workers and devotees also feed the monkeys on other days.
The people who continue the practice believe the happiness of Onam should include animals too.
Sree Dharma Sastha Temple in Sasthamcotta serves resident monkeys a special Onam sadya each year.
The feast includes rice, dal, pappad, pachadi, avial, pickle and other traditional dishes.
The monkeys are served on plantain leaves on Uthradam and Thiruvonam.
Groups of monkeys wait for the food, then take turns eating in the temple hall.
Around 40 temple monkeys also receive food and devotees’ offerings on ordinary days.
- Who
- Temple authorities, devotees and around 40 monkeys living near Sree Dharma Sastha Temple.
- What
- The temple serves the monkeys a traditional Onam feast called vanara sadya.
- Where
- Sree Dharma Sastha Temple in Sasthamcotta, Kollam district, Kerala.
- When
- The feast is served on Uthradam and Thiruvonam; the reported event took place on August 25, 2026, during Uthradam.
- Why
- The practice is linked to faith and tradition, and was reportedly started to ensure the monkeys did not remain hungry during Onam.
Key facts
- Temple
- Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Sasthamcotta
- Feast
- Vanara sadya, or a feast for monkeys
- Festival days
- Uthradam and Thiruvonam
- Food served
- Rice, dal, pappad, pachadi, avial, pickle and other traditional Onam dishes
- Serving method
- Food is placed on plantain leaves in the temple dining hall
- Monkey population
- Around 40 monkeys live in a forested area beside the temple
- Additional feeding
- Food is served to the monkeys on other days, and devotees also make offerings to them
- Tradition's history
- The practice is described as continuing for many decades; one account says it began 53 years ago
Quotes
Aravindakshan Nair
The founder of the Uthradam feast at Sasthamkotta Temple, who began the tradition 53 years ago
“When we celebrate Onam with a grand sadya, it is painful to think that these animals, who have lived alongside us for so long, should remain hungry.”
NDTV
“The special Onam feast is served to the monkeys on Uthradam and Thiruvonam, the two main days of the festival”
news18.com
theprint.in
Sources
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