Galtaji Temple nicknamed the Jewel of Jaipur is located about 10 kms from Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The shrine of Galta is located at close quarters from the beautiful Sisodia Rani-ka Bagh on the Agra-Jaipur highway. The vast complex of Galta Ji has several temples in it. This place is famous for the temple dedicated to the Sun God located within the complex. It is only sun temple in this region. The temple of Galta Ji is perched on the summit of a small hill, in the midst of luxurious green surroundings situated and provides a breath-taking view of the pink city. Galta is a picturesque pilgrim site at the summit of a small hill. The temple is also known as the Monkey Temple owing to the large group of monkeys who dwell here.
According to the ancient scriptures Saint Galav lived and meditated here. This 18th century Sun Temple was built around 250 years ago by Rao Kriparam, a courtier of Sawai Jai Singh II. The temple is located on top of a high peak and visible from all parts of Jaipur. The maintenance of the temple is financed by the Birla family.
Galtaji Temple complex which lies in a picturesque gorge amid low hills houses numerous temples, pavilions, natural springs and holy 'kunds'. The magnificent temple complex known for its architectural excellence looks more like a mansion or Haveli. The structure is built in pink sandstone, with a large number of pavilions having rounded roofs. The intricate carvings and bright coloured paintings on the interiors and exteriors of the temple walls are truly fascinating. All the pillars of the temple have also been exquisitely carved. The paintings have images of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha and Parvati. The temple also had some beautiful frescos showing scenes from religious festivals and state occasions. At the end of the lower pool one can find beautiful paintings of Maharaja playing Polo and lilas of Krishna and Gopis. The beautiful ceilings here embellished with colourful swirl motifs bears testimony to wonderful artistry. Unfortunately many of the frescoes have been washed away in 1991 by the heavy rains.
Out of all other temples in the complex the Hanuman temple is also popular and it is surrounded by hundreds of monkeys.
The other attraction here is the springs and natural reservoirs (kunds) near the temple where the devout take holy dips There are a total of seven kunds in the place. The Galta kund is regarded as the most sacred of all the kunds. It is said that this kund has never run dry. All the kunds are fed by a spring emanating from a rock curve named Gaumukh. It is belief that a holy dip in the sacred water of the kund cleanses all past sins.
Some of the other famous temples present in the vicinity are the Krishna temple, the Balaji Temple and Sita Ram temple. Tourists from far and wide visit Galtaji to witness the enthralling beauty of this place.
Makar Sankranti is regarded as a very special day to take bath in the holy waters of Galtaji and thousands of devotees throng the sun temple on this day.
How to Reach Galtaji Temple?
The temple is at a distance of 10 km from Jaipur. Tourists can take a bus up to Vidyadharji ka Bagh which is 6 km from Jaipur downtown and then can get a rickshaw to climb the rest 4 km. Jaipur is well connected to all major cities of North India through a good network of national and state highways. Jaipur railway station is the nearest railway head. There are frequent trains from here which connect Jaipur to all the major cities in the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Howrah, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Indore. Jaipur airport is located 13 km from the city and it is well connected to many major cities like Mumbai, Delhi etc. The airport has been granted an International Status and there are flights to foreign cities like Kuwait, Sharjah, Bahrain, Muscat, Peshawar, Kathmandu, Bangkok, and Dubai.