We are greeted by the 140-foot statue (the world’s tallest) of Murugan, a Hindu deity. The statue and the sacred Batu Caves are located just outside Kuala Lumpur. The caves are one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. In the limestone hill there are three major caves and a number of smaller ones.
Climbing the stairs up to the caves, we are watchful of the monkeys perched on the railings; little thieves that will snatch anything they can, especially food.
Inside the main caves and around 100-year-old temple there are idols and statues. The temple is considered an important religious landmark by Hindus.
Cathedral Cave is the largest and most popular cavern. Here there are several Hindu shrines beneath its more than 300-foot arched ceiling.
At the foot of Batu Hill are two other cave temples – the Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave – which house numerous Hindu statues and paintings.
Although I am a Christian, I find the shrine fascinating. It’s part of understanding the world and its different cultures and beliefs. A trip to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the caves.
That’s an impressive place and an impressive flight of stairs to reach the caves. Do you recall how difficult that climb was?