Galtaji is an ancient

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

pilgrimage about 10 km away from

Jaipur Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...

, in the Indian state of

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

. The site consists of a series of temples built into a narrow crevice in the ring of hills that surrounds Jaipur. A natural spring emerges high on the hill and flows downward, filling a series of sacred ''kunds'' (water tanks) in which pilgrims bathe. Visitors and pilgrims can ascend the crevasse, continuing past the highest water pool to a hilltop temple from there are views of Jaipur and its fortifications spreads out across the valley floor. It is believed that a Saint named Galav lived here, practiced meditation, and did penance (''

tapasya Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and se ...

'').

Shri Galta Peeth

Built within a mountain pass in the Aravalli Hills 10 km. east of

, Since the early 15th century Galtaji has been a retreat for Hindu ascetics belonging to the

Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

Ramanuja sect. It is said to have been in the occupation of yogis for a long time; Payohari Krishnadas, a Ramanuji saint, i.e. a follower of the Ramanuj Sampradaya came to Galta in the early 15th century and, by his yogic powers, drove away other yogis from the place. Galta was northern India's first Vaishnava Ramanuja Peeth and became the one of the most important centres of the Ramanuja sect. The temple features a number of pavilions with rounded roofs, carved pillars and painted walls. The complex is set around a natural spring and waterfalls that create 7 Holy Ponds.

Monkeys

Female rhesus macaque at Galtaji, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

The temple complex of ''Sita Ram ji temple'' is colloquially known as (''Galwar Bagh'') in travel literature, due to the large number of monkeys who live in here. These

rhesus macaque The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally ...

s were featured in National Geographic Channel's '' Rebel Monkeys'' series and "Thar Desert - Sacred sand" episode of the Wildest India television series.

The Sun Temple

There is a small temple on the top of the hill dedicated to the Sun God. It is known as ''Surya Mandir''.

Water tanks

The temple is known for its natural springs, the water from which accumulates in tanks (''kund''s). There are seven tanks, the holiest being the Galta Kund, which never goes dry. It is considered auspicious to bathe in the waters of Galtaji, especially on Makar Sankranti, and thousands come to bathe every year.

References

External links

monkey temple India Galta Ji Galta Ji Temple Complete GuideRajasthan Pilgrimage - Hindu Temples - Galta Ji
{{coord, 26.8761, N, 76.1242, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:IN, display=title Hindu temples in Rajasthan Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Tourist attractions in Jaipur Springs of India Temple tanks in India Hindu temples in Jaipur Landforms of Rajasthan