Monkey Temple

Galta Ji sits in a cleft of the Aravalli Hills outside Jaipur, built in the 16th century as a Hindu pilgrimage site with seven sacred kunds, or water tanks, fed by a natural spring that legend insists will never run dry. The temple is dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, not Hanuman, the monkey god, which makes the resident population of several hundred rhesus macaques feel like ironic squatters. The monkeys have taken over. They live in the temple courtyards, steal offerings from pilgrims, swipe sunglasses from tourists, and commute daily into Jaipur to pickpocket and ransack market stalls before returning at sunset. National Geographic filmed a docuseries called Monkey Thieves tracking their antics. Pilgrims still bathe in the spring-fed pools. The monkeys still steal their shoes. One temple. Seven sacred tanks. Zero respect for property rights.