Another gorgeous day in Jaipur!! Today we left for Agra, but not before a few stops along the way!
First stop was Galta Ji (monkey temple) on the outskirts of Jaipur. Galta Ji hosted the biggest party for Maha Shivaratri yesterday, so they were getting trash and everything cleaned up. It is located between mountains and has gorgeous temples. There is a spring river that runs downward on the back mountain which fills a series of pools. They have a ladies pool, a men's pool and a monkey pool. The ladies pool was recently drained to be cleaned, so both women and men are currently using the mens pool. It is considered auspicious to bathe in the waters of Galta Ji, especially on holidays, which is why the party was so large the previous day. Apparently thousand people traveled to bathe there. We had the monkey whisperer, Kanhaiya, give us the tour. He was awesome!!!!!
First stop was Galta Ji (monkey temple) on the outskirts of Jaipur. Galta Ji hosted the biggest party for Maha Shivaratri yesterday, so they were getting trash and everything cleaned up. It is located between mountains and has gorgeous temples. There is a spring river that runs downward on the back mountain which fills a series of pools. They have a ladies pool, a men's pool and a monkey pool. The ladies pool was recently drained to be cleaned, so both women and men are currently using the mens pool. It is considered auspicious to bathe in the waters of Galta Ji, especially on holidays, which is why the party was so large the previous day. Apparently thousand people traveled to bathe there. We had the monkey whisperer, Kanhaiya, give us the tour. He was awesome!!!!!
Next stop on the road to Agra was the village of Abhaneri. There we visited the Chand Baori step wall and Harshat Mata Temple. Chand Baori is Indias oldest step wells. There are 35,000 steps and 13 levels. The step well was traditionally used to conserve and store water & for public baths. It is pretty incredible!!
It was a ritual to wash hands and feet at Chand Baori before visiting the temple which is dedicated to Harshat Mata, the goddess of joy and happiness. There was a man making bangle bracelets by hand out of banyan tree on the streets. It was awesome to watch and he made one extra small to fit my wrists which I love!
Onward to Agra! We stopped at a cool place for lunch (don't remember the name) and ate some delicious chicken curry. Our last stop before reaching Agra before sunset was supposed to be Fatehpur Sikri. It is home of another red sandstone mosque, Jama Masjid. In the center is the tomb of Salim Chishti. Because of traffic we decided it was best to not get the tour, as that would have put us in Agra too late for sunset at the Taj. Here are pictures from the outside though.
We made it to Agra [in one piece]!!! The driving in India is INSANE. I cannot even think of the words to describe it. There are no rules. It is so crowded, and you drive as fast as you want weaving in and out, driving down the wrong side of the street, you name it! The game "chicken" is 100% of the time. It was especially bad driving in Agra. ANYWAYS.... Agra is in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
We made it to see the Taj Mahal though!!! We opted to watch the sunset from Mehtab Bagh. It is a garden that lies on the other side of the Yamuna River as the Taj (it is behind the north side of the Taj). It was a beautiful and clear day in Agra which made it a truly amazing watch! I know a lot about the Taj Mahal already, but I will wait to give that data, and hopefully more, after we watch sunrise and tour it tomorrow! Here are the first glimpses of the MECCA herself. <3
These look incredible! And what a journey!!!!!! The 35,000 steps is incredible. Will show to Jim Wednesday night. Do you think my car would survive the driving in India? Ha! Rock on, team Kray. We'll hold the fort down. R&J.
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