Malaysia: Batu Caves, an unmissable attraction
At 15 km from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, an ancient limestone rock over 400 million years old houses a network of caves - Batu Caves, of which 3 are the most visited: Cathedral Cave, Cave Villa, Ramayana Cave. Some temples inside huge caves, artificially lit or heated in natural light, represent a place of pilgrimage for Hindus in Malaysia. Many amazing statues and paintings depicting Hindu stories stridently colour the rooms. Named after the name of the nearby river, the Batu caves are one of the major tourist attractions of Malaysia, the largest Hindu resort outside India.
A huge, gilded statue guards the entrance to the most significant of the caves - the Temple Cave, also called the Cathedral Cave. He represents Murugan, the God of war, considered to be one of the most beautiful Hindu gods. In his hand, he held the divine spear-Vel. The son of Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the brother of Ganesha, known by many names-Swaminatha, Muruga, Kumara, Skanda, Lord Murugan is often called Tamil Kadav (God of Tamils) and is especially revered in areas with Tamil influences: India by South, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia. It is often represented with 6 heads, 12 hands or a peacock. The Murugan statue at Batu Caves, 42.7 m high, is the second tallest statue of a Hindu deity in the world, after the Shiva statue in Nepal (45 m).
A concrete staircase, high and steep, divided into four parts, climbs up the slope until entering the Temple Cave. The road to the top is of unobtrusive beauty. On one side and the other, in various folds, the wild heights, covered by forests, unfold. We didn't even feel it when we arrived, although at first, the climb seemed tiresome and discouraging. We climbed the narrow steps one by one, stopping from place to place to admire the view we had left at the foot. The more we climbed, the more spectacular the painting was.
Dozens of naughty monkeys stumble upon the 272 steps painted in the colours of the rainbow, following inattentive tourists. We witnessed mini battles in which tourists were losers, not monkeys. On the one hand, it was funny, on the other, scary. We were told from the hotel to take care of the robbers at Batu Caves, so we were vigilant. No objects were left in sight.
Dark cloaks and sumptuous darkness spread before our eyes. For a few moments, we measured with the eyes the greatness created by nature. The spectacularity is offered by the karst forms that take place under a high, vaulted ceiling, which brings with a cathedral. The cold inside of us crept in through the unbearably hot clothes. We went without saying a word and stopped in front of a temple where Indian families came in with offerings. The rituals, the experiences that were read on the olive faces and their spiritual pursuits have frightened us. We witnessed a colourful evocation of one of the oldest religions in the world, Hinduism, the third religious confession after Christianity and Islam. Zoomorphic figures, dozens of sculptures depicting gods, heroes, spirits and demons glitter all over the walls. Next to it, the peacock, the national bird of India.
At the far end, other stairs led us to the sacred temple of the Batu caves. Here, natural light penetrates through an opening in the ceiling. A perfect peace descends from the blue heights of the patch of sky. The silence is broken by the dripping of water, the flapping of the wings of bats or the screams of monkeys.
Entrance to the Temple Cave is free, but to visit the Dark Cave you have to pay 35 MYR. A guided tour lasting about 45 minutes is included in the ticket price. At the base of the rock are two other rock temples - Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, both full of statues and Hindu paintings depicting Murugan's victory over the Soorapadman demon. This complex, Cave Villa, was renovated and opened in 2008. The entrance costs 15MYR / person. An audio tour is available for visitors. The Ramayana cave is behind a huge statue (15 m) representing Hanuman, the monkey god, devoted and helping Lord Rama. You can visit it for an entrance fee of 5 MYR.
A half-day trip is enough to visit the Batu Caves. When leaving, we spent lots of time in the market in front of the cave, taking pictures from all possible angles. All around tourists and street vendors mixed in a colourful chaos. Pigeons and monkeys were eagerly waiting to receive their portion of food.
How do you get to the Batu Caves? We used the Grab app. I paid around 30 MYR from the hotel we stayed at to Batu Caves. The cheapest option is the Komuter train from KL Central. The price of a ticket is around 2 MYR / sense. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. Batu caves are at the last station.
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