Today, I’m celebrating The Rabbit Hole Day by writing about an experience I’ve never shared before. I didn’t know about this festival until Lane sent me an email explaining it, and I thought it would be fun to join in. I’ve chosen to write about the monkeys of Mathura City for this celebration. Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna, is one of the most sacred cities for Hindus and a major attraction for both Indian and international tourists. I’ve visited Mathura four times, with my first trip when I was ten and my last one four years ago.

Mathura is home to a large number of incredibly smart monkeys—possibly more than in Benares. On one occasion, I was in Mathura with my mother, navigating through narrow alleys on our way to a temple. I was captivated by the people, the old houses, the colors, the culture, and the religious atmosphere. It was fascinating. However, someone warned us to avoid carrying items in our hands and to take off our glasses, as monkeys are known to snatch belongings. Despite this, I was skeptical and kept my glasses on, thinking they wouldn’t be interested in them.

We encountered several people who repeated the same warning about the monkeys. Even though I was reluctant to part with my glasses, my mother, who had a purse but kept her glasses on, didn’t heed the advice either. After a few more minutes, my mother suddenly exclaimed, “Oh! My glasses!” By the time I turned around, a monkey had snatched her glasses and was sitting in a tree. We both found it amusing and were quite surprised. I approached the monkey, trying to negotiate the return of the glasses, but the monkey seemed more interested in trying them on.

Shortly after, a man approached us offering to retrieve the glasses for a fee. He asked for Rs. 100 but agreed to Rs. 25 after some bargaining. He went to a nearby shop and bought a packet of garbanzo beans for Rs. 2. It seemed the monkey was in on the plan. The man threw the garbanzo beans up to the monkey, who carefully placed the glasses on a branch before grabbing the beans. Unfortunately, when the monkey threw the glasses down, they fell and broke. The man apologized, saying he had tried his best but couldn’t prevent the mishap. We continued to the temple, with me now holding my glasses in hand.

We later tried to find a place to repair the glasses and were surprised to learn from a local that this kind of monkey behavior was common. He explained that many trained monkeys are used to steal items from people, and their owners then make deals with those who lose their possessions. We couldn’t repair the glasses, so my mother had to experience Mathura without them, which was quite challenging for her. In Hindu society, monkeys are revered because of their association with Lord Hanuman, who was known for his playful and mischievous nature. Perhaps this incident was a modern-day reflection of Hanuman’s antics. Despite the inconvenience, we enjoyed the experience and still laugh about it.

Happy Rabbit Hole Day!