Little ‘langoors’ light up historic temple

With the commencement of Navratras on Monday, the famous Langoor Mela began at the Bada Hanuman Mandir, where the gates opened for devotees at 4 am.

Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, president of the Durgiana Temple, said over 4,000 children have been dressed as ‘langoors’ this time, with the exact number expected to be confirmed tomorrow.

Alongside police personnel, the temple committee has deployed 250 volunteers for crowd management. These volunteers are divided into different groups, each assigned a four-hour duty shift. Each volunteer carries an identity card and is responsible for maintaining order in the five zones. Strict adherence to rules is mandatory and failure to comply will result in expulsion from duty, she said.

Parents, holding the hands of their children dressed as ‘langoors’, carrying gada, visit the temple consecutively every morning and evening. These ‘langoors’ are accompanied by relatives and friends who dance to the rhythmic beats of dhols.

The tradition continues to attract Indian families from across the globe, including NRIs, who come to Amritsar to participate in the festival. The temple complex hosts groups of ‘langoors’ and their families who believe that dressing their children as langoors during the festival will bless them for life. However, along with the celebrations, the children and their families observe a strict nine-day regimen, remaining barefoot, sleeping on the floor and eating only satvik food.

Legend has it that the Bada Hanuman Temple was built at the site where Luv and Kush, the sons of Lord Rama, tied Lord Hanuman to a banyan tree when he came to take them back to Ayodhya.

The temple, located within the Durgiana Temple complex opposite Hathi Gate, hosts between 40,000 to 50,000 devotees during the 10-day festival.

The Langoor Mela tradition began with the belief that couples, who wish to have a baby boy, visit the Bada Hanuman Temple to pray. Those whose wishes are fulfilled then bring their children dressed as langoors to thank Lord Hanuman. Over the years, this has evolved into a vibrant festival, with tolis (brigades) of children dressed as monkeys coming to the temple, dancing to drumbeats.