Another Best of Malaysia Attraction: “Batu Caves”

Batu Caves is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and caves temples in the Gombak district, 15 km north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia. It is an iconic and popular tourist attraction in Selangor.

Being on top of the hill is 15km from the northern part of Kuala Lumpur, is an attraction for the tourists who are very famous in Selangor. Batu Caves consists of three big caves; including cave contained a major Hindu temple is decorated with delicate carvings. The biggest, referred to as CATHEDRAL Cave or Temple Cave, has a very high ceiling and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors must climb a steep flight of 272 steps. So, one interesting experience at Batu Caves is to climb 272 steps leading to the main cave. It becomes main attraction in the Batu Caves.

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. Many of the shrines relate the story of Lord Murugan’s victory over the demon Soorapadam. An audio tour is available to visitors. 

Adjacent to the main cave is the cave of the Ramayana where the walls inside painted images of mythical epic story of India. The Ramayana Cave depicts the story of Rama in a chronicle manner along the irregular walls of the cave.

These limestone hills are also a popular spot for rock climbing activities. Batu Caves offers more than 160 climbing routes. The routes are scattered all around the side of Batu Caves, which is made up of limestone hills rising to 150m. These climbing routes are easily accessed, as most crags start from ground level. 

Batu Caves serves as the focus of the Hindu community’s yearly Thaipusam festival. It has become a pilgrimage site for not only Malaysian Hindus, but Hindus worldwide from countries such as India, Australia and Singapore. During the annual Hindu festival, thousands of worshippers and tourists come to this Cave. In 2007, the festival attracted more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in history.