Batu Caves

Batu Caves is a an iconic and popular tourist attraction in Selangor.

Site of a Hindu temple and shrine, Batu Caves attracts thousands of worshippers and tourists, especially during the annual Hindu festival, Thaipusam. 

The main entrance to the cave.

In a vast cave area.

 
A limestone outcrop located just north of Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves has three main caves featuring temples and Hindu shrines.

Its main attraction is the large statue of the Hindu God at the entrance, besides a steep 272 climb up its steps to finally view the stunning skyline of the city centre.

Monkeys frolic around the caves, and it is a popular spot for rock climbing enthusiasts. Paintings and scenes of Hindu Gods can also be seen in the Ramayana Cave. 

The  Batu Caves are situated thirteen kilometers (seven miles) north of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. They are the sacred place for the Hindu's in Malaysia. They consist of three main caves and a number of smaller ones. The caves are made of limestone and 400 meters long and 100 meter high. They were discovered in 1892. From your hotel in the Golden Triangle you can reach the Batu Caves easily by taxi or public bus (11 and 11d). The public busses can be boarded at the Pudu Raya Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur.

At your arrival you will be greeted by lots of monkeys. They are going for your peanuts and banana's, which  you can buy in several shop, before you climb up to the caves. You have to climb 272 steps, which will lead you to the religious and magnificent Batu Caves.

Once a year they celebrate the Thaipusam festival in the Batu Caves. It's a celebration for the son of Shiva (Subramaniam) and the becoming "one" of  Pusan and the Brihaspati stars. 

 
The Thaipusam festival.

Every year, on Thaipusam, as many as 800,000 devotees and other visitors may throng the caves. As a form of penance or sacrifice, many of them carry kavadis (literally, "burden," such as a pitcher or jug). These are large, brightly decorated frameworks, usually combined with various metal hooks and skewers which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and tongue.

By doing this penance they expect some favours from their Gods. The festival is held in the tenth month of the Hindu calendar (mostly the end of January).

 
The procession starts on the evening before the Thaipusam festival at the Sri Mariamman Temple in the town centre of Kuala Lumpur.

By doing penance they want to extort some favours from the Gods. The kavadis is placed on the shoulders of the devotee. The kavadis represents a miniature shrine.

Women carry a silver jug full of milk on their heads, some are pierced through their cheeks and tongues and others not.

Chains are dropped from the central body of the kavadis and hooked onto the flesh of the bearer. The length of the spears had to be limited to a metre in consideration for other devotees.  Others hook limes, oranges or coconuts onto their bodies.

They are always accompanied by an entourage of relatives and friends to make them enthusiastic with dance parades, songs, musicians playing the drums and the flutes.

As they arrive at the shrine at the Batu Caves, the Swami removes the hooks, spears etc. The vow is finally fulfilled.

Girls who carry kavadis milk.

Thaipusam is celebrated at Peninsular of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and on Penang. The procession on Penang starts on the eve before the Thaipusam festival at  the Chettiar Temple in Penang Street.

When you don't visit the Batu Caves at Thaipusum, they are still very beautiful.

Every day there is a little celebration of a group of Hindus in the Batu Caves. Every time it's an imposing event, although there's no self torture.

Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave is he best known and biggest of the caves. It's visited by many devotees.

The ceiling is 100 m above the ground and this huge chamber is lighted by daylight from several holes in the ceiling.

At the end of the caves you can see the bright sky, when you look above you.

If you climb up the stairs, you can meet a lot of long tailed-macaque monkeys and if you have peanuts with you, they'll climb to you as I won't consider recommending.

You might fall though.
You can take photo's of them, carrying their babies for the peanuts. There are locals in the entrance,  who will approach you to buy peanuts!

Long tailed-macaque monkeys:
they love peanuts, but they love crisps also !

 
At the base of the hill are two more cave temples, Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, both of which are full of Hindu statues and paintings. This complex was renovated and opened as the Cave Villa in 2008. Many of the shrines relate the story of Lord Murugan's victory over the demon Soorapadam.

The Ramayana Cave is situated to the extreme left as one faces the sheer wall of the hill. On the way to the Ramayana Cave, there is a 15 meter tall statue of Hanuman and a temple dedicated to Hanuman, the noble monkey devotee and aide of Lord Rama.

Climbing the stairs to the top of the cave.

A large hole formed on the roof of a cave.

 
The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old. Some of the cave entrances were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people, a tribe of Orang Asli.

Batu Caves is easily reached by KOMUTER train using the Batu Cave s-Port Klang Route, costing RM 2 for a one-way journey from KL Sentral. Batu Caves may also be reached by bus 11/11d from Bangkok Bank Terminus (Near to Puduraya Terminus) or bus U6 from Titiwangsa.

Address        : Jalan Batu Caves, 68100 Jalan Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
Phone           : +60 3-6189 6284

Coordinates : 3°14′14.64″N 101°41′2.06″E