Batu Caves is a limestone hill 100-meter above the ground, and is home to several caves, three of which are considered major ones. It is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war. This popular and sacred destination is located 13 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur. During the Thaipusam festival, which celebrates the moment when Murugan received the spear to trounce his demonic nemesis, Soorapadman, it attracts as many as one million disciples.
At the bottom of the hill, stands the 42.7-meter golden statue of Lord Murugan, making it his tallest statue in the world.
With my high school classmate Len, who acted as our tour guide, in front of Lord Murugan’s statue at Batu Caves. To the left of the statue is the Entrance Shrine and to the right is the way to Cathedral Cave.
The biggest cave in Batu Caves is the Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, a Hindu shrine replete with colorful images of deities. To reach the innermost sanctum of the Cathedral Cave, one has to have legs of steel and willpower because one has to hurdle 272 concrete steps.
The seemingly daunting 272 steps that tested the strength of my legs and my imaginary fear of heights.
These figures adorn the archway, at eye-level at around 30 concrete steps. It might be Lord Murugan and his wives and an entertainer.
But wait, there’s more! More steps to conquer inside Cathedral Cave. The topmost part of the steps is the Main Temple of Murugan at Batu Caves.
The interior of Catheral Cave was the epitome of the harmonious relationship between nature and man. The limestone outcrops jutting out of the cave ceiling seemed untouched by the construction of the concrete stairs, the temple and the praying areas.
This is my second stab at Throwback Thursday.
Que maravillosa! It seems that it is wonderful if you go there at night just like you did.. I always see photos of some tourist in the daylight.. Are there many monkeys there? I heard that the monkeys are a little bit naughty because they are looking for food.. I don’t like monkeys getting near me.. I need to do more exercise before I go there in order to challenge that 272+ steps.. Ilang stop-over kaya ako??? hahahaha..;)
I do not recall seeing monkeys in the area.
The idea of climbing 272 steps seems intimidating but you can do it a few steps at a time. I think it will be better to visit it at night, aside from the visual advantages, the area will not be as hot or as crowded as during a daytime visit. Kaya mo iyan. 