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Lopburi Monkey Buffet
Overview of the Festival
An unusual religious festival in Thailand takes place every November 25th in Lopburi. A huge all-you-can-eat buffet is prepared at the Pra Prang Sam Yot and fed to more than 2,000 monkeys. In Thailand, monkeys are a sacred animal often deemed to be gods, so the Lopburi Monkey Buffet Festival is held to pay tribute to these wonderful animals.
Aside from honoring monkeys, the Lopburi Monkey Buffet is believed to bring good fortune. Organizers, for instance, think that feeding these monkeys bring good luck to their business. Also, it's a great way to promote tourism in the province that used to be Thailand's royal capital.
During the festival, top chefs prepare fresh fruits and vegetables and arrange them to create a colorful display. Sometimes, sodas and other cooked treats are given. Whatever the monkeys are fed, these are 5-star worthy foods prepared by the best chefs in the region.
The Lopburi Monkey Buffet Festival is quite new. It started back in 1989 upon the suggestion of a hotelier who devised a clever way of boosting the region's tourism and commerce.
What to Do / Expect
Over the years, the Lopburi Monkey Buffet evolved from just a feeding program for crab-eating monkeys into a beautiful event that is participated by many locals. Before any food is given to the monkeys, locals and visitors gather at a well-known landscape in Lopburi to watch an organized program.
The program can consist of a marching band parade, a parade-of-the-nations, dancing, and a parade of people (young and old) in monkey masks and costumes. When the right time comes, the buffet is unveiled, and the monkeys can come and eat.
Where Does the Lopburi Monkey Buffet Take Place?
The Monkey Buffet Festival takes place in Lopburi, a province located about 180 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. History books say that Lopburi was founded over 1000 years ago by a royal named King Kalavarnadish who was originally from Northwest India.
Due to its strategic location, Lopburi became a stronghold of ancient Thai rulers and was even assigned as the country's royal capital in the 17th century. Today, however, Lopburi no longer enjoys the grandeur it used to have centuries ago. What's left of this splendor are old temples and shrines.
Lopburi is also home to thousands of crab-eating or long-tailed macaques. These monkeys are said to have long been co-existing with Thais in the region and so they can freely roam around the place.
Source: http://www.dindemic.com/groups/dindemic-th...i-monkey-buffet
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Lopburi Monkey Buffet19 Novembre 2013 |
