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Galta Ji Temple

About Galta Ji Temple
Vital Information for Visitors
Address:

Galtaji Temple, Shri Galta Peetham, Galva Ashrama, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Open & Close:

Open on all days: 05:00 AM to 09:00 PM

Entry Fees:

Free

Duration:

Approx 1-2 hours

Belongs to:

Vaishnav Sect

Famous For:

Makar Sankranti Festival & Monkeys

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Galta ji is famous in western world as Monkey Temple of Jaipur because it is home to innumerable monkeys. Galta ji, about 5 kms from Jaipur, is known after a pious ascetic Rishi Galav. At this site in Galta Valley, Saint Galav did meditation. Later, this place emerged as a pilgrimage for the faithful of his sect and a mammoth temple complex was built during 17 & 18 centuries. There are a dozen temples inside the campus. The temples of Galta blend into the wild as part of a narrow picturesque gorge. The temple is populated with hordes of monkeys. There are two basins for ablutions (one for men, the other for women) with sacred waters coming from the mountain. A source with miraculous virtues, as is told by the faithful, springs from a rock whose muzzle is shaped like cow’s mouth ( gomukh ). Monkeys here are treated as sacred creatures. The water seems never to dry up and the peaceful valley is almost always green. The top of the gorge offers a panoramic view of the entire Galta Valley.

To the east of the city, atop a hill is a Sun temple, over the Galta valley. It is associated with sacred memory of Sage Galva who lived 1,500 years ago.

Galta, popular among foreiners as Monkey Temple, is a temple complex of religious and historical importance – no tickets required and remains open from sunrise to sunset for visitors. The description of Galava Ashram (the hermitage of Sage Galav), now known as "Galta”, in treatise of Surya Narayan – a famous Vyakarnacharya, is very vivid and fine. Since there is a large number of monkeys, among the foreign tourists it is also popularly known as Mokey Temple of Jaipur. These monkeys don’t harm the visitors, rather are quite friendly. There is a cluster of temples at Galta. These are all of one and the same time and have in them murals ranging from the 18th to the late 19th century. These murals are executed in both dry and wet processes. All the temples are Vaishnava in character. To the right of the temple by the side of the pond (kunda) on the hill in one corner is a cave, which is associated with the great religious Saint Krishna Dasa Payahari who is mentioned in the Bhakta-mala of Nabhaji. Though this cave is not very old, it is of some religious significance to followers of the Vaishnava Saint Payahari Baba. Galta is famous for its Sun Temple, scenic beaty all around and its patronage by Birla family. Built about 250 years ago by Rao Kriparam, Diwan of Sawai Jai Singh II, is embelished with murals and frescoes portraying Brahma, Vishnu, Parvati among others. In 1991, a huge flood, though, washed away several paintings. The kund, watertank, becomes a place of live spectacle of the Hindu faithfuls who gather here on Makar Sankaranti festival to have holy dip.

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