Batu Caves — Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple

About Batu Caves — Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple

Batu Caves, in Gombak about 13 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur, is a series of limestone caves in a 325-metre hill that has become one of the best-known Hindu shrines outside India. The main temple, dedicated to Lord Murugan (Subramaniar Swamy), stands in the largest cave, reached by 272 steps — repainted in rainbow colours in 2018.

Beside the steps stands a 42.7-metre golden statue of Murugan, unveiled in January 2006, among the tallest Murugan statues in the world and the tallest statue in Malaysia. At the foot of the hill, the Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave hold statues and paintings from Hindu mythology, mostly from the life of Murugan; the Ramayana Cave, to the left, is painted with scenes from the Ramayana and has a 15-metre statue of Hanuman at its entrance and a Hanuman temple opened in 2001.

Batu Caves is the focal point of Thaipusam in Malaysia. Huge crowds of devotees and visitors gather as the silver chariot arrives from the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur; devotees carry kavadis and pots of milk (paal kudam) up the steps in fulfilment of vows, many after weeks of fasting and prayer. Visitors should dress modestly, keep food away from the cave's monkeys, and expect very large crowds on Thaipusam day.

History

The caves were long used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people. In 1878 they were visited by the naturalist William Hornaday, and the Tamil trader K. Thamboosamy Pillai — who also founded the Sri Mahamariamman Temple — promoted them as a place of Hindu worship, said to be inspired by the cave entrance's resemblance to Murugan's vel. A temple to Murugan was completed in 1891 and Thaipusam has been celebrated there since 1892. Wooden steps were installed in 1920 and replaced by the present 272 concrete steps in 1940.