The Monkey Temple or Galtaji is a perfect symbol of the beauty that was India and the confusing contradiction that it has become.
Before coming to India to live last year I read extensively, watched documentaries and studied Hinduism for my masters. I thought there would be an inherent spiritualism here. I have found, however, that the idea of India is not the reality, and I am faced once again with the effects of colonial ruins and poverty.
Rather than spirituality, I have encountered practice and ritual with no connection to faith or belief. Women who are required to constantly fast and pray for men and boys while they themselves remain invisible. The most confusing is the inability of Hindus to explain their practice beyond knowing the names of some gods and a limited knowledge of festivals. In Hutup, they worship Hinduism as nature and yet pollute the air burning plastic, and throw garbage everywhere.
I thought that maybe it was because I am living in a very rural area among a large population of illiterate people.
But now having traveled to some of the main tourist sites the contradictions have widened. People who worship in the morning are trying to rip us off in the afternoon. Kindness is overdone and artificial, hospitality is not part of the culture and rules never apply to men.
Back to the monkey temple. It was clearly a beautiful, colorful small city set in the canyon, once upon a time. Two "priests", young men I doubt have any real training sit at the entrance collecting money for us the take photos. What was once amazing is now crumbling and lacks care. Pilgrims come, we saw many, but it seems they leave behind garbage that no one bothers to pick up. The pool, filled by a natural spring, is covered with floating filth. The beautiful frescos are faded, cracked, and dirty. The images of gods lay within piles of garbage. Could the priests spend less time harassing tourist over 5 cents to use the toilet and more time picking up rubbish? Could art students not come to repaint and repair the artwork. This is a holy temple, falling into ruin. Spiritual...nope....beautiful...in a very very sad way, yes.
Post Script: The temple is not nicknamed for the god Hanuman, but for the over 300 monkeys that live in the rocks of the surrounding hills.
