The cradle of Bengal’s administration, Nabanna, had a taste of "monkey business" for nearly 40 minutes on Thursday morning after a full-sized adult langur entered the high-security premises and decided to call it home.

Until of course the primate was chased away by forest department staff who evidently had a tough time catching it. Thankfully, though, the simian – presumably petrified with the chaos and excitement which prevailed over its presence – quietly exited the building without causing any damage to people or property.

In a highly-charged political atmosphere of the state, stray satirical comments of the animal’s association with the country’s mythical hero -- demi gods in their own right in popular Indian psyche and the saffron brigade’s alleged monopolization of Lord Ram’s narrative -- also came flying from curious onlookers at the state’s secretariat.

Some even wondered aloud whether the presence of Lord Hanuman’s avatar at the citadel of state power carried ominous signals for the ruling dispensation.

The animal was first spotted at the 13^th floor balcony of Nabanna amid contradictory opinions making rounds on how it managed to get there in the first place. A floor below chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s office, the langur stationed itself before the chamber of Anish Dasgupta, under secretary to the state government. The floor also houses high-profile offices of the state’s chief secretary, home secretary and a conference room where state cabinet meetings are held.

Under advice of her doctors Banerjee was at home nursing her injured leg.

The frenzy to chase away the animal coupled with the fear of getting attacked by the primate soon led to confusion among government employees who were both simultaneously attracted and repelled by its presence. Some even offered biscuits, which the monkey gladly accepted and was subsequently seen throwing away after taking a cautious first bite. Others tried to humor it by attempting to strike a conversation. “Hi there,” someone was heard saying to the monkey dangerously perched on the railings of one of the interior elevations of the edifice. “Why are you here? Do you have any demands or a memorandum to submit?”

The eventual entry of the forest department officials speeded up things with the animal giving them a slip when the catchers showed desperation to trap it in a net. It merrily swung through the staircase from one floor to another. It wasn’t until the animal reached the ground floor that it chose to use one of the most frequently used doorways by the secretariat staff to make his exit from the scene.

But not before some free excitement was savoured and questions of security raised by the secretariat staff in their otherwise routine work life in the corridors of state power.