Selangor’s prominent and well-liked tourist destination is Batu Caves. Thousands of worshipers and visitors go to Batu Caves, which is home to a Hindu temple and shrine, particularly during the yearly Hindu holiday of Thaipusam. The three main caverns of Batu Caverns, a limestone outcrop north of Kuala Lumpur, include Hindu shrines and temples.
Batu Caves History:
It is estimated that the limestone that formed Batu Caves is 400 million years old. The native Temuan/Besisi people (a tribe of Orang Asli) utilized a few of the cave openings as dwellings. Chinese immigrants started digging guano for their vegetable patches as early as 1860. However, it wasn’t until the limestone hills were noted in 1878 by American naturalist William Hornaday and colonial officials Daly and Syers that they attained fame.
K. Thamboosamy Pillai, an Indian merchant, advocated Kuala Lumpur Batu Caves as a site of devotion. The main cave’s’vel’-shaped entrance served as inspiration for him to build a temple inside the caves for Lord Muruga.
The founding father of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. K. Thamboosamy Pillai, sent his close friends Sri Thiruvengadam Pillai and Sri Kanthapa Thevar to search for a suitable and ideal place of worship for Lord Sri Murugan in 1891, which is when Batu Caves got its start. In that year, Mr. K. Thamboosamy Pillai, a prominent immigrant from Tamil Nadu, India, erected the sanctified statue of Sri Subramanian Swamy (Lord Murugan), known as the “murti,” in the 400-foot-high Temple Cave.
There has been an annual festival in Batu Caves Malaysia since the following year, which is the Thaipusam celebration in the Tamil month of Thai (which is late January or early February). In 1920, wooden stairways leading to the Temple Cave were constructed; now, 272 concrete steps stand in their stead. The murti (consecrated statue) of Sri Subramania Swamy was erected by Pillai, who also constructed the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, in what is now referred to as the Temple Cave in 1890. The Thaipusam holiday has been celebrated since 1892 during the Tamil month of Thai (late January/early February).
Spectrum Stairs:
The famed 272 steps leading up to the Sri Subramanian Swamy Temple at Batu Caves Kuala Lumpur have long been recognized by tourists as being painted in the red and white hues that are often associated with Hindu temples. However, when the gloomy steps were magically changed into an Instagram-worthy backdrop with a rainbow of colors, visitors to the famous temple were treated to a delightful surprise that can only be described as a feast for the eyes. Instagram users are already enjoying the colorful new stairs, but many Hindus also visit the sacred site to make pilgrimages and see the enormous golden statue of the god Lord Murugan.
Kuala Lumpur Batu caves Timings:
- Open daily; educational tour lasts 45 minutes.
- Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, 10 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Groups must make an email-based reservation in advance.
- Tour of Adventure (3–4 hours): Only available on weekends. Booking in advance through email at least one week in advance.
The 43-meter-tall statue of Lord Murugan, which is now the second-tallest in the world, is the main feature that distinguishes the cave complex today. The official website of the Batu cave has pictures of the caves. Additionally, you may learn more about this location by visiting the official website of the liturgical temples.