Tuesday, September 18, 2007

"Monkey God Tree" creates a stir.

I made a trip to Jurong West Street 42 yesterday to check out the much-hyped Monkey God Tree.
During the middle of the week (14.9.07) there were a few newspaper reports (in Singapore) on the discovery of monkey images appearing on the tree bark of an old tree by the roadside along Jurong West Street 42. Since that day, many people have been making a little 'pilgrimage' to the tree to pay their respects to a tree trunk that they believe houses the spirit of the legendary 'Monkey God'.

Can you see the monkeys ?
Click on the above photo for high-res image

People from all corners of Singapore came to gape and gawk at this tree
Click on the above photo for high-res image

Devotees believed that the images are either a manifestation of the Monkey God, a deity from Chinese mythology, or Hanuman, the monkey deity in the Hindu pantheon, and that praying to them would bring them luck.
Click on the above photo for high-res image

The Straits Times has a good article on this, with quotes from different camps of people — believers, scientists, tree experts and assorted professors. Read it here.