Wednesday April 10. We've left Agra and the Taj Mahal heading into Rajasthan towards Jaipur. Sanjay has made a detour to Galta and an old 18th century Temple set back in the hills outside of Jaipur. The country and landscapes here are breathtaking.
This trip just keeps getting better and better !
The Temple has been disused for some time now but it is still used by pilgrims who bathe in the sacred water tanks known as kunds.
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| King of the Temple ! |
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| Mum with baby |
Since falling into disuse the old Temple has become populated by a number of families of Macaque monkeys and they have made their home here.
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| Kanhaiya "monkey man" |
Kanhaiya is a local man who lives in Jaipur and who has "adopted" the monkeys. He comes to the Temple every day and voluntarily looks after them by making sure they have enough food and are not harmed. Kanhaiya (Kani for short) is also known as the "monkey man" and was featured in a National Geographic documentary some years ago. He is a good guy, very interesting and devotes his life to looking after the monkeys.
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| Old Geezer apprentice "monkey man" |
They can be vicious but generally they seem to know
what kind of person you are
and whether you can be trusted or not.
A hand full of peanuts generally helps !!
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To talk to them I had to give them names so .....
.... standing up on the left is Georgia, sitting on the step is Joshua, and Harry is on my knee !!
I'm getting a bit carried away here, these little monkeys are adorable but I mustn't forget my surroundings. This Temple is stunningly beautiful and although it has been disused for a long time now, some of the original decorations are still intact and
undamaged. The artwork is fantastic. If ever there was a place for quiet contemplation then this would be it.
The design and layout means that everywhere you turn there is always a stunning view.
And of course, for every sacred Temple there is always a sacred Bramah bull !
And just in case she thought I'd forgotten her, here is Emily.
Beautiful and cuddly
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Next stop is Jaipur .... see you then
