There was once a widow by the name Men Leket (Mrs. Leket), living at the edge of the forest with only her son, I Leket. One day when I Leket went out to catch birds, there came a big monkey to their hut asking for food; thus, Men Leket trembled with fear. She wanted to scream but she knew nobody would come, because nobody lived. She tried to calm herself.

Then she spoke: “Hey, you monkey, go away, I don’t have any rice, I haven’t cooked anything.” When she said that, the monkey didn’t believe her. He forcefully entered the kitchen. Since men Leket truly didn’t cook, the monkey didn’t find anything. There was a dove hung at the edge of the roof of her hut. That bird was asked by the monkey to be grilled.

She spoke: “Hey you, don’t ask me to grill the bird. That’s the only bird belonging to my son. It was only yesterday my son caught it. When he returns, he’ll certainly be angry with me.” The monkey shouted: “Hey, you don’t want to do it? I’ll surely strangle your neck.” When the monkey said so, she did what she was told. Well, when it was cooked, it was given the monkey, he ate it greedily. Soon the monkey went away.

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In a splendid palace surrounded by beautiful garden and a moat, there lived a prince with his retainers, and servants who mostly confined to their respective quarters, he had a constant and boon companion – the apple of his eye – a darling pet monkey.

The darling monkey’s name was Lutung, he was very clever. Practically, he can do anything. Besides doing all the things that monkey usually do like racing up trees, leaping people heads, shredding flower buds, smashing pot, and biting small children, this remarkable creature could also make conversation, wield a weapon, play the flute, paint abstractions, smoke a pipe, drink wine, and stand on his head for hours. But he was able to perform all of these amazing feats, and more, only at instigation of the prince.

Every evening the prince would dine alone with his precious pippin all got up in the best bib and tucker and seated at the table on his special gilded chair. And after dinner, Lutung would engage his doting master with an infinite variety of tricks until gales of laughter swept the room and tears rolled down prince cheeks. The resultant mess and wreckage mattered not one whit, and, and when the performance was end , prince and chattering jackanapes would go hand in hand to bed.

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The monkey business in Bali is far from dishonesty or silly behavior; it is an honest, profitable business which involves monkeys, humans, and surrounding environment for the benefit of human, monkey and environment.

The Balinese monkey business can be found at Monkey Forest in Ubud, Sangeh monkey sanctuary in Badung regency and Alas Kedaton in Tabanan regency. In these monkey sanctuaries, Balinese work hand in hand with the monkeys to preserve the surrounding forest, maintain the forest temple, provide revenue for the village, occupations for the villagers and protection for the monkeys.

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Chinmaya Yuwak Kendra
30th June 2006
Open Stage Ardha Candra 20.00 PM

Kamban:

Kamban A poet lived in 12th century in Tanjore District in Tamil Nadu, India. There are 10.418 verses in six kandas (chapter). As in Valmiki Ramayana, there is no Uttarakanda in Kamba Ramayana. Kamba imports into his narrattion the colour of his own time and place. Kamba has not merely taken this theme from the greatest of Sanskrit epics but as followed it in almost every detail step by step.

Kamba Ramayana

The play stars with the poet Kamba invoking the supreme truth and showing gratitude to Valmiki, the author of Ramayan. He goes on to add his flavour of introducing the divine couple by dramatizing their first meeting. Rama and Sita remain spell bound. Indeed are words required when paerted beloved meet.

Rama takes Sita’s hand by winnin the challenge of breaking die Siva dhanush. Adding sparkle to the events, Dasaratha decides to crown Rama. Now the treacherous Kooni jerk everybody out of this ecstasy by poisoning Kaikeyi’s mind and causes the banishment of Rama who is followed by Sita and Lakshamana. Friendship finds a new abode in Rama and Guha, the tribal king who is ready to give everything to Rama.

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