Batu Caves, Malaysia

 

Batu Caves is a must-visit beautiful Hindu temple with remarkable and colorful stairs located in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia.  

Surrounding limestones were organically formed over 400 million years, and created this famous Batu Caves today. The temple, which is nestled in the heart of the cave, was built in the year 1920. 

One of the most prominent and unique trademarks of Batu Caves is the golden statue of the Hindu God (Lord Murugan), which stands proud and tall at the foot of the stairs. This 140 feet height outstanding sculpture is a proud symbol of the Hindu temple in the caves, and it is recognized as the world’s second-tallest statue of the Lord Murugan.

Before the 400 million years old cave complex became a popular Hindu shrine in the late 1800s, the cave complex was often used as shelters by the Temuan people, an indigenous group of people belonging to the tribe of Orang Asli, the oldest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia.

The cave complex has a particular cave called the Temple Cave, which is now one of the most important sites of pilgrimage for the Hindus. The Temple Cave is the largest among all other cave temples in the area. One will have to climb 272 concrete steps to get to the sacred Temple Cave where one will find several Hindu shrines.

Apart from the Temple Cave, there are other cave temples such as the Art Gallery Cave, Museum Cave and Ramayana Cave. The Art Gallery Cave and the Museum Cave have a very large collection of Hindu religious pieces of art such as statues and paintings. The Ramayana Cave comprises artwork that tells us the story of Rama. Outside the cave, there is a 15m tall statue of Hanuman.