The Batu Caves, Malaysia-Nature’s Hindu Temple Offering

The Batu Caves are a series of limestone caves and cave temples located in Selangor, Malaysia. So easy to get to it even has it’s own train stop. 

I picked up the KTM Comuter train at KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur which can be reached via the Kelana Jaya line if you’re staying near KLCC.

In less than 30 minutes the giant limestone outcrop was in view. 

Leaving the train station you are immediately surrounded by Hindu shrines and temples including this giant statue of Hanuman, the Monkey God.

The Batu Caves gets it’s name from the Sangai Batu, the nearby Batu River, and it is also the tenth, Pattu in the Tamil language, limestone of Ampang Malaysia.

The Batu Caves are one of the most popular Hindu Shrines outside of India. Dedicated to Lord Murugan, God of war. He is the son of the Hindu dieties Shiva and Parvati. 

The Murugan statue is the largest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia and the second tallest in the world coming second to the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal.

This is the site of the annual Thaipusam Festival which draws over 1.5 million people every year to honor Lord Murugan. Devotees among other things carry containers of milk as an offering to Murugan.

The first steps to the cave were built in 1920 made of wood, since then have been replaced by 272 concrete steps. There are several caves throughout the site but the Temple Cave or Catherdral Cave, which I was climbing up to is the most well-known and visited. 

Another reason to keeps things inside your bag or backpack  on your way up. This guy eventually got back his little pack minus a couple of things.  Excerpts from “Nature’s Hindu Temple Offering-The Batu Caves, Malaysia”.