Representational Image
New Delhi:
Wedding rings -- check. Brass band -- check. Large, aggressive monkeys -- check.
Anxious brides wanting the perfect wedding day are leaving nothing to chance in Agra, hiring large monkeys and their handlers to keep pesky smaller ones at bay.
Grey langurs are becoming increasingly common at outdoor weddings to ward off their natural enemy, rhesus monkeys, which are known to gatecrash and wreak havoc, an official said Tuesday.
"The langur-handlers are much in demand during the winter wedding season," said Ram Avtaar, an official in the city's municipal corporation, "They usually charge up to 3,000 rupees ($48) if booked in advance but the rates can go up to Rs 10,000 ($160) in case of an emergency when monkeys have already entered a venue."
Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, has seen monkey numbers increase in recent years, in part because Hindu residents believe feeding them is auspicious.
Amita Singh, a 29-year-old, was quoted in a Times of India report as saying she was shocked to find a group of uninvited monkeys chattering away on her wedding day.
"I was so scared that I fell off my chair," the daily quoted her as saying. "My make-up and dress were completely spoilt."
She hired a langur and handler for her reception.
Agra resident Deepesh Gupta, who attended a wedding at which the groom was attacked by monkeys, said he recently hired three langurs which were positioned strategically during his daughter's marriage.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
