Bonnet macaques 'monkey around' at Sirumugai temple

Devotees find it difficult to climb hillock, carry offerings to temple

- S SENTHIL KUMAR @Coimbatore

TROOPS of bonnet macaques in and around the hilltop Othimalai Murugan Temple near Sirumugai have become a menace for devotees.

The ancient temple dedicated to Lord Murugan can be reached only after climbing a steep flight of 1,880 steps that goes up a 3,000-foot high hillock located in Irumborai Panchayat near Sirumugai. During the climb and descent, these monkeys pester the devotees, often lunging at them in a bid to grab the edible items they carry for self-use or for offering to the deity.