A visit to a popular hill temple in Tamil Nadu ended in tragedy on Saturday after a 24-year-old newly-married woman died in an accidental fall while reportedly trying to move away from a troop of monkeys that surrounded her near the hilltop shrine.
Police said preliminary findings suggest the woman lost her balance after getting frightened by the animals. Investigators have registered a case and are verifying the sequence of events that led to the fatal fall.
The deceased was identified as Anitha, a resident of South Thittankulam in Thoothukudi district. She had married Suresh about a month ago. Suresh, who works overseas, had recently returned home, following which the couple visited the Kalugasalamoorthy temple at Kazhugumalai to offer prayers.
Monkey scare at hilltop shrine ends in fatal fall
After offering prayers at the main temple, the couple climbed to the Uchipillayar temple located atop the rocky hill.
According to the preliminary police investigation, they were feeding fruits to monkeys when several of the animals gathered around them.
Startled by the sudden movement of the monkeys, Anitha reportedly tried to move away quickly. She allegedly lost her footing near the edge of the hill and fell onto the rocky terrain below.
Police said she suffered severe injuries and died on the spot.
The incident took place in front of her husband, who was left traumatised by the tragedy. Temple visitors rushed to help, but she could not be saved.
Police register case, investigation underway
Police personnel, with the help of local residents and temple authorities, retrieved the body from the hillside before shifting it to a government hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police said the available evidence indicates that the fall was accidental after the woman became frightened by the monkeys. However, they added that all aspects of the incident are being examined as part of the investigation.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the increasing presence of monkeys at hill temples across Tamil Nadu.
Authorities have repeatedly advised devotees not to feed wild animals, warning that the practice often leads to aggressive behaviour by monkeys and increases the risk of accidents at crowded pilgrimage sites.