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History of Jaipur, Jaipur Then and Now

Galta Gate | Jaipur Then & Now

I have written a post on Old City Gates of Jaipur on nine old gates of Jaipur. Galta Gate is not part of these gates because this was outside the walled city area. This gate has historic relevance as it leads to Galta Ji Temple, an ancient temple complex as well as a popular local Hindu pilgrim in Jaipur. Galta Gate is the shortest way to reach Galta Temples, also known as Jaipur Monkey Temple.

Before I talk about Galta Gate, let me share an interesting history of Galtaji Temple. The name Galta is derived from Rishi Galav who as per the local legend worshiped for 100 years. Pleased with his austerity & devotion, the almighty blessed this place with a perennial fountain of holy water. There’s a sacred bathing tank where Hindu pilgrims take a holy dip. During the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who founded Jaipur, many temples were built in this area. Surya Mandir is one of the prominent temples. Galtaji lies beyond the eastern hill range of Aravalis & can be reached either through Galta Gate or Ghat Ki Guni although the former is popular due to its proximity to the city.

Inspiration for the “Jaipur Then & Now” series is 290 years of the founding of Jaipur city. The foundation of Jaipur was laid on 18 November 1727 AD by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Jaipur Then & Now aims at heritage conservation.

Also read:

Why our attitude towards heritage needs a big change?

5 Things You Need To Know About Captivating Galta Temples

how to reach galtaji temple jaipur google map

THEN

Here is a picture of the path that pilgrims use to reach Galtaji captured from Galta Gate. This picture was shot by Gobindram Oodeyram, a leading photo studio from the 19th century.

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Old photo of Jaipur shot by Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram Studio, Jaipur

NOW

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Overlooking Sun Temple from Galta Gate. This is how it looks currently.

THEN

This picture of the Galta Gate was shot 150 years after Jaipur was founded in 1727 AD.  I’m not cent percent sure but it’s likely that the photographer of this picture is Lala Deen Dayal, one of the early photographers in India. Lala Deen Dayal captured life on Indian streets, famous monuments as well as portraits of royalty during the second half of the 19th century.

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Picture sourced from Google

This picture shows Galta Gate as the only standing structure in the area along with a few Chhatris (dome-shaped pavilions) on its right & along with sand dunes. Then Galtaji was at the edge of Jaipur city limits, a little further from the Surajpole Gate, which was one of the 9 entry points to the city. Just beyond this gate was a wall that ran all along the perimeter of Jaipur as a fortification. One can see this wall in the above picture.

NOW

Let me show you another picture that I took earlier this year where I tried to capture the same spot.

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The gate still stands where it was but there’s an enormous amount of construction & buildings in the vicinity. Chhatris on its right can still be spotted, a Hindu cremation site. Beyond this gate is a highway that leads to Delhi.

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Panoramic view of Jaipur city and Galta Gate

The development over 150 years is understandable but the haphazard & unauthorized construction one sees in the vicinity is an eyesore. Due to the populist policies and vote bank, authorities never bothered to check on it. There is a lot of filth near this ancient Gate because it’s part of a Hindu pilgrim site. People feed cows, monkeys, and other animals with offerings to earn good karma. One often comes across banana peels, grains, fodder strewed all over & animals loitering everywhere.

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Earning good karma? Or littering?
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On way to Galtaji temple. A mini zoo?
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Galta Gate. A sorry state of affair

It is not that cleaning doesn’t happen, the area is being cleaned on a regular basis but it is just not enough.

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To be honest, I prefer not to visit this area because of these reasons. I have mentioned this in one of my earlier posts – Surya Mandir/ Sun Temple, Jaipur…Stupefying Views!

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Litter, animals, unauthorized encroachments, and damaged footpaths are difficult to bear. While the government is spending a huge sum of money on private temple trusts in the vicinity, this area has been ignored. Authorities must understand that many foreign tourists visit Galtaji temple because it is a tourist attraction. Galtaji Temple is famous among foreign tourists as Monkey Temple because of the large number of monkeys.

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Tourists on way to Monkey temple.
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The lamp post installed a few years ago with a heritage look “died” long ago!

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Another traveler has described the visit to Galtaji Temple, a Banarasi Brahmin – Vyas Ramashankar Sharma in 1903 AD accompanying a rich widow Dhanadevi Mahodaya as her personal secretary. One can find the book in a library.

Here’s a link to read the entire series of Jaipur Then And Now

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Do Read the follow-up post : 5 Things You Need To Know About Captivating Galta Temples

It is really a pity to see this entire route from Galta Gate to Galtaji Temple in such a state. It used to be a scenic route and residents would often hike up the Galta hills for a great view. This is still a popular route among residents to reach Galtaji Temple. I’m hoping that authorities will take some action and restore its former glory. At the same time, residents need to do their bit by not littering.

Jaipur Then and Now Galta Gate Sun Temple Galtaji #jaipur #oldphoto #travel #environment

All old pictures have been sourced from the Internet. In case, someone has any issues with this post, kindly let me know.

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114 thoughts on “Galta Gate | Jaipur Then & Now”

  1. Hi-

    Looking forward to reading this one!

    Would you like write about CraftsBazaar? And would you like to collaborate with us?

    Regards

    Aparna

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    1. Lalitha, absolutely. I’m sure this gate would have been a popular tourist attraction. Although specific dates are not available I’m assuming it’s around 300 years old. We really lack the marketing aspect of heritage.

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    1. Happy to hear that you have been to Jaipur. I feel we need to be more responsible citizens. Doing things that take away beauty of our heritage is least appreciable. Have you chronicled your Jaipur visit? If you have do lead me to it. Will love to read it, Debbie! 🙂

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    1. Certainly, a lot has changed and its not something to be happy about! Thanks for your keen interest & sharing your views. Will keep you posted for more.

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    1. Thank You. I appreciate your nomination. The very fact that you considered me is a reward for me. However, regret to inform you that I don’t participate in awards since I only post on topics that are related to Jaipur. Thank You for nominating me, I’m really sorry for not being able to participate. 🙂

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  10. Isn’t it amazing how cityscapes change, with some of the old monuments standing like monoliths the test of time. I sometimes wonder what in 400 years well remain from what we build today. Thanks for sharing, Arv! Super informative! Marcus

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    1. Very pertinent question, Marcus at the same time very difficult to answer. Whether we will have life then, is a big question looking at how fast we are depleting Earth’s resources.
      I feel these old pictures though very limited just after the invention of early cameras are a big resource. May be your pictures someday might be of some use for the reference! 🙂

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    1. Thank You. I guess the government has far too many things to do and the complex machinery makes things difficult. I wish they could understand that they are sitting on a gold mine.
      Thanks for sharing your views. Ever been to Jaipur or India?

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    1. I agree with you Amitava on most points. Fleecing tourist is a common problem everywhere. Sun temple is a great place to witness sunrise too. Did you visit Galtaji temples?

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    1. I love vintage pictures, Somali for many reasons. Although today we have far too many pictures, these vintage pictures convey many feelings. I wish there was time-travel! Lala Deen Dayal, Borne & Shepherd are very popular photographers of those times. Did you read my earlier post on vintage picture exhibition? There are some great pictures of Kolkatta, Varanasi, among other places.

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      4. I found pictures of Kolkata in 1800’s fascinating. Studio had to close down because times have changed and people are happy with digital technology. Earlier people would visit studio to get pictures clicked but now we are happy with social sharing and everyone has camera thanks to smartphones!

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  17. It is such a pity that our cities develop into a higgeldy piggeldy mess. What is it in us that we cannot preserve beauty and heritage . And filth in temples is something appalling. I frankly have stopped visiting temples. There are crowds that push, priest that pester and a general atmosphere of dirty and poverty that detracts from any feelings of piety .

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    1. I think your observation about temples depicts the reality across country. I have never been advocator of temples however I have visited many in last few years primarily for its heritage value. The ones that are popular with a steady stream of devotees, the priest tend to think they are some sort of Maharajah and their behavior is nothing to talk about. In many ways, most popular temples are simply a money making machines. Priests use all sorts of tactics to extort money from devotees. we do have some temples here which provide you feeling of being in a temples. How about Mumbai?

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      1. Mumbai temples are a mixed bag. The ones that aren’t visited by celebrities still retain a quiet peace. In fact there are some lovely neighbourhood temples that I occasionally visit and a few Ganesh Pandals too that have no crowds . Otherwise they are simply awful. I actually prefer to say my prayers at home in peace with myself and the world …..

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      2. That’s what many people do. There are many people who believe that the introduction of “agent of God” has complicated the matter. That’s the reason why many people prefer “direct interaction” with the almighty.

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  19. Wow. I can see so much history in your pictures. It makes me wonder what life was like when the gate was first constructed. I love historical fiction and I can see all kinds of stories in your pictures. Thanks for sharing them with all of us!

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    1. Lisa, I’m delighted to hear that you liked this post and pictures. Life was simpler but tougher, then. We didn’t have so many facilities especially the ones available after industrialization in western world during the same time frame. However, there were other perks of living in Jaipur. There will be more such posts here. Do check them out later in the week. 🙂

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