World Attraction Guides 2

Malaysia

The Batu Caves were discovered over 100 years ago and are now one of Kuala Lumpur’s most visited sites. Located in an area of outstanding beauty, the caves contain stalactites and stalagmites, and impressive flora and fauna. There are three main caves and numerous smaller ones. The most famous is the Temple Cave and is only accessible by a 272-step climb. Below it is the Dark Cave, a vast network of caverns inhabited by several indigenous species of animals. Discovered by the American explorer William Hornaby in 1878, the Batu Caves are also an important Hindu shrine, attracting as many as 80,000 devotees during the holy festival of Thaipusam which takes place in January or February every year.

At your arrival you will be greeted by lots of monkeys. They are going for your peanuts and banana's, which you can buy in several shop, before you climb up to the caves. You have to climb 272 steps, which will lead you to the religious and magnificent Batu Caves. Once a year they celebrate the Thaipusam festival in the Batu Caves. It's a celebration for the son of Shiva (Subramaniam) and the becoming "one" of Pusan and the Brihaspati stars.

The procession starts on the evening before the Thaipusam festival at the Sri Mariamman Temple in the town centre of Kuala Lumpur. By doing penance they want to extort some favours from the Gods. The kavadis is placed on the shoulders of the devotee. The kavadis represents a miniature shrine. Women carry a silver jug full of milk on their heads, some are pierced through their cheeks and tongues and others not.

Chains are dropped from the central body of the kavadis and hooked onto the flesh of the bearer. The length of the spears had to be limited to a metre in consideration for other devotees. Others hook limes, oranges or coconuts onto their bodies. They are always accompanied by an entourage of relatives and friends to make them enthusiastic with dance parades, songs, musicians playing the drums and the flutes. As they arrive at the shrine at the Batu Caves, the Swami removes the hooks, spears etc. The vow is finally fulfilled.

Thaipusam is celebrated at Peninsular of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and on Penang The procession on Penang starts on the eve before the Thaipusam festival at the Chettiar Temple in Penang Street.

If you go up the stairs, you can meet a lot of long tailed-macaque monkeys and if you have peanuts with you, they'll climb to you as I won't consider recommending. You might fall though. You can take photo's of them, carrying their babies for the peanuts. There are locals in the entrance, who will approach you to buy peanuts! Long tailed-macaque monkeys: they love peanuts, but they love crisps also ! Bus Nr 70 and 349 are leaving from Lebuh Pudu (in China Town) every 30 minutes. Journey is about 45 min! Open daily from 7 to 21h!

Contact Addresses

For more information on Batu Caves, contact Tourism Malaysia (see Tourist Information above).

Transportation

Air: Kuala Lumpur International Airport, then Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (domestic flights). Rail: Train: Kuala Lumpur Station. Road: Bus: Public services.

Tourist Information:

Tourism Malaysia
Menara Dato’ Onn, 17th, 24-27th, 30th floors, Putra World Trade Centre, 45 Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (03) 2693 5188. Fax: (03) 2693 5884.
E-mail: tourism@tourism.gov.my
Website: www.tourism.gov.my
Tourism Malaysia
Malaysia House, 57 Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DU, UK
Tel: (020) 7930 7932. Fax: (020) 7930 9015. E-mail: mtpb.london@tourism.gov.my

Location

Malaysia