About the Hanuman Langur
The Hanuman langur is India's most sacred monkey — a large, silver-grey primate with a black face, hands, and feet, named after Hanuman, the monkey deity of Hindu mythology. Venerated across India, langurs are protected by religious sentiment in almost every Hindu community, allowing them to live fearlessly near temples, towns, and cities. They are among the most widespread and abundant primates in India.
Hanuman langurs are leaf-eating primates (colobines) with a specialised stomach that can digest tough, toxic leaves that other primates cannot. This dietary adaptation allows them to thrive in a wider range of habitats than fruit-dependent primates. They live in large troops of 10–50 individuals and have a complex multi-male or harem social structure depending on the local population. In Jodhpur city, troops of hundreds of langurs have coexisted with the human population for centuries, venerated but also occasionally creating conflict.