Invasion of the Hairy Creepy Crawlies

These creatures, pictured above, have been on the march for the last 5 days, appearing seemingly out of nowhere to invade my space. I have found 2 in the bathroom, one under the strap of my sandals, one crawling on a floor cushion, more-than-I-can-count on my terrace and in the stairwell, one on Ajit Reddy’s shoulders and one near his feet, falling from the rooftop … I’ve made too many trips from my room or the office downstairs to take these creatures outside. Since these creepy crawlies are hairy, with some type of irritant at the tips of their hair, I’m now shake out my sandals before putting them on. I wonder how long before we see a flurry of butterflies?

Addendum:

Today, 2 February, I saw the fantastic creature pictured above – the biggest butterfly I’ve seen to date – feeding on the blackberry flowers that hang over my terrace in Pondicherry.  Could the hairy caterpillars that I no longer see all over the building have turned into this red beauty?  Or the more modest butterfly below.