The Batu Caves

The Batu Caves, on the northern edge of Kuala Lumpur, are a dramatic and important Hindu shrine set in a series of caverns within a towering limestone hill. The main Temple Cave, a vast chamber open to the sky, is reached by climbing a steep, now rainbow-coloured staircase of 272 steps, guarded at the foot by a colossal golden statue of the deity Murugan. A major pilgrimage site, it is thronged during the spectacular Thaipusam festival.

History

The name comes from the Malay batu, "rock". The caves were used as shelters by the Temuan people, Chinese settlers dug guano from them for fertiliser in the 1860s, and the American naturalist William Hornaday visited in 1878; the Tamil trader K. Thamboosamy then promoted them as a place of worship (Wikipedia, Batu Caves).

What's there

• The rainbow staircase - the 272 colourful steps up to the cave.
• The golden statue - the colossal statue of Lord Murugan.
• The Temple Cave - the vast cavern shrine open to the sky.
• Thaipusam - the dramatic Hindu festival of devotion, in season.

When to go

Year-round; go early to beat the heat and crowds on the climb. The Thaipusam festival, usually in late January or February, is an extraordinary but overwhelmingly crowded spectacle of devotion, when huge crowds of pilgrims ascend.

Practical notes

It is a working temple, so dress modestly, with covered shoulders and knees. The climb of 272 steep steps is hot and tiring, and the resident macaque monkeys are aggressive and will snatch food, bags and phones, so keep them secure and do not feed them. During Thaipusam it is jammed with pilgrims. It is free and easily reached by train.

Nearby

Kuala Lumpur and the Petronas Towers are a short train ride away.