: “The love for all living creatures is the noblest attribute of man,” opined Charles Darwin.
Chennapurapu Muktheswara Rao, a farmer of Saradaipeta hamlet of Guduru mandal in Krishna, has proved this by building a temple at his house for a grey langur.
Mr. Muktheswara Rao built the temple after its death on November 6, 2015.
“I brought the grey langur from the Mylavaram forest area six years ago to keep the monkeys which were raiding my coconut plantations at bay. It became a member of my family over the years as we allowed it stay in our house,” said Mr. Muktheswara Rao.
In late 2015, the simian, which was christened as Raju, suffered an injury due to an iron chain that was tied to the neck, but it was noticed only after its condition deteriorated. The local veterinarian treated it for a few days but could not save it.
“The death of Raju came as a shock for me. We performed the last rites in accordance with our customs and buried it. As I could not bear Raju’s absence, I built a small temple for it,” said Mr. Muktheswara Rao.
Popular in village
“I am blessed with three children, including a girl. I treat the langur as one of my children. By faith I am a Christian, but I observe its death anniversary like any Hindu family does,” Mr. Muktheswara Rao said. The temple of the grey langur, the most widespread langurs of South Asia, is 10 km from Machilipatnam. The grey langur made a lasting impression on villagers with its playful antics.
