About 10 km before reaching Jaipur, off the highway, down a dirt road, is the ancient (300-400) year old complex of Hindu temples, Galtaji, known popularly as the Monkey Temple. A large tribe of rhesus macaques who live there give it the name. Walking up the dirt road toward the temple, we saw parrots and peacocks and a few monkeys browsing in the brush and litter off the road. A college student approached me as I paid my entrance fee and offered to be my guide. "No charge...if you're happy when finished you pay what you want, otherwise, you don't have to pay me." He was one of the best of these guides I had during these visits to forts, temples, and tombs.
He had a good relationship with the monkeys, feeding them lots of peanuts, and understanding their behavior, and with the monks who inhabited some of the smaller temples (caves) within the complex.
When donating something to one of the smaller cave temples, the resident monk will paint the red clay tilaka on your forehead and tie string bracelets around the wrist. Some will give you a garland of flowers for your neck and wrist. Emerging from one of these small temples, a large monkey ran up to me and hit me on the chest. I was shocked and looked at the guide to ask why. He said the monkey wanted my flower garland, which I happily took off and gave to him. Another reached for my hand, which led me to take off the flower bracelet. All of this preceded a stampede of about 100 monkeys charging up the hill toward us, spooked by something down below. I kept telling myself, "Rabies, no problem, I'm vaccinated." Then I remembered I had not been vaccinated for rabies.
He had a good relationship with the monkeys, feeding them lots of peanuts, and understanding their behavior, and with the monks who inhabited some of the smaller temples (caves) within the complex.
When donating something to one of the smaller cave temples, the resident monk will paint the red clay tilaka on your forehead and tie string bracelets around the wrist. Some will give you a garland of flowers for your neck and wrist. Emerging from one of these small temples, a large monkey ran up to me and hit me on the chest. I was shocked and looked at the guide to ask why. He said the monkey wanted my flower garland, which I happily took off and gave to him. Another reached for my hand, which led me to take off the flower bracelet. All of this preceded a stampede of about 100 monkeys charging up the hill toward us, spooked by something down below. I kept telling myself, "Rabies, no problem, I'm vaccinated." Then I remembered I had not been vaccinated for rabies.
haha!
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