February 17, 2018. I start my trip in India’s Rajasthan state once I arrived in Jaipur, the largest city in Rajasthan. It is known as the “Pink City” because its old walled district (something like Intramuros in Manila) in the middle of the metropolis has its buildings all painted in “pink”.
Rajasthan state (literally land of ‘maharajas’ or kings) in India used to be a conglomerate of different princely kingdoms ruled from forts and city palaces such as the City Palace in Jaipur. Throughout India’s history these kingdoms preserved their territories and private holdings by allowing themselves to be coopted and controlled upon after defeat by the different invaders that conquered this part of India, from the Mughal Dynasty to the British Empire. The lineage of the royal families in Rajasthan still exist today and many of the monuments, forts and palaces across Rajasthan remain their private properties. Entrance to the actual palace in Jaipur is 2,000 Indian rupees or at least 1,750 pesos. No way I was shelling that out. Entrance to the palace open grounds is 500 rupees (approx. 400 pesos).
Later that afternoon, I decided to exert an effort despite feeling under the weather and took a taxi to the outskirts west of the city.
To the hills west of Jaipur to lie Galtaji, or the “Monkey Temple.” After hiking two steep hilltops I finally reached the temple composed of different levels of structures in the crevices of the hills. It was like entering a hidden temple as Indiana Jones. The place was run over by hundreds of monkeys. Though it looked abandoned, it is an active Hindu pilgrimage site. It also doubles as a dam and reservoir.
