An annual feast held in Thailand, India, known as the Monkey Buffet Festival, to celebrate the monkey community was held on Sunday. The monkeys were fed and treated as the real VIPs' of the occasion in the one-day celebration, which is not only a tradition but also a tourist attraction. 

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The annual event occurred at Lopburi, a town in the central part of Thai. Fruits and cashew nuts are among the items the guests (monkeys) for the day were served.

A special treat known as thong yod, an egg yolk dessert, was not spared by the monkeys present.

According to the India Times, the event, which dates back to over three decades, is a big tourist booster for the state as many people flock to the region to mingle with the animals.

The Buddhist region of Thailand considers the monkeys to be part of the community.

People in the Lopburi region, however, take the love a notch higher in their annual festival. The monkeys are fed at the historical temple of the Khmer-era. The ruins, which date back to 800 years, is arguably the region's most striking feature.

The love for these monkeys can be attributed to veneration for the heroic Hindu monkey god, Hanuman.

According to the Hindu, Fang Xi, 36, a tourist and a manager at a farm in China, describes his experience with the monkeys.

"One of the monkeys wants to steal my hair clip and doesn't want to get off my should," said Xi. "Two other girls were afraid and run away."

Residents in the region, however, consider this as a normality. 

Amanda, a US-based citizen, said that it was amazing seeing the monkeys.

"They were eating over there and lots of food to choose from," she said. "They were attacking each other and running around, jumping on people."

TagsIndia, Monkey Buffet Festival, Temple of Khemr-era, Thailand, Buddhism