The historical Batu Temple Caves are one of the important pilgrimage centers of Hindus. The caves are located in the city of Gombak, 15 km north of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Caves, a sacred place of worship, are considered the largest Hindu cave temples in the world. The statue of God Murugan, located next to the caves, is one of the tallest religious statues found in Malaysia. The gigantic god statue is located right next to the temple caves, creating an extremely magnificent image. The caves, where the most important Hindu temples of the region are located, are the most visited places in the country in terms of religion and tourism.
The statue of the god Murugan was unveiled in 2006. The height of the statue, which creates a very impressive image, is 42.7 meters. Approximately 250 tons of steel and 1500 cubic meters of concrete were used in its construction. About 300 liters of gold paint was used to decorate the monument. More than 30 well-known local experts, builders, sculptors and artists were involved in the creation of the statue. After the opening of the sculpture monument, which took 3 years to build, the number of visitors reached record levels.
Batu Shrine Caves and Hindu Festival
Batu Caves is a complex of caves consisting of three separate caves. The largest Hindu temples are located within the sacred caves. As of the end of January every year, the temples are heavily visited by Hindus who want to worship. At the same time, Thaipusam Festival is celebrated in the place where the caves are located.
During the Hindu Festival held in January and February each year, the caves are overflowing with millions of people who come for worship or festival purposes. Hindus pay homage to the god Lord Murugan by climbing the cave, which is reached by long stairs. During the festival, hundreds of believers wear colorful clothes and paint their bodies. As a sign of repentance and respect to God, they make penance by piercing the skin of their cheeks and tongue with large hooks like skewers. According to Hindu mythology; God Shiva’s wife, goddess Parvati, gives a spear to her son Muruga. He defeats the demon with this spear in Muruga. For this reason, Murugan’s birthday is celebrated every year as part of the festival.
There are 400 million years old steep limestone cliffs inside the caves, whose height reaches 100 meters from the ground. Caves complex; It consists of 3 separate sections as the Main Temple Cave, the Ramayana Cave and the Dark Cave.
Main Shrine Cave
The Main Temple Cave reaches a ceiling height of 100 meters. To reach the cave, it is necessary to climb a steep staircase with 272 steps. There are many large and small Hindu temples inside the cave. The well-lit cave has many decorations telling Hindu legends. It is possible to pass to the second part with a short walk inside the large cave, which is made up of the combination of two caves. The upper part of the other cave has an opening that illuminates the interior.
Dark Cave
The Dark Cave is the second largest part of the Main Shrine Cave. There are interesting rock forms inside the cave. There are rare spider species and bats in the cave. It is possible to tour the cave, which is entered with helmets, which lasts 45 minutes.
Ramayana Cave
The Ramayana Cave is located very close to the Main Temple Cave. The cave is a very interesting place where the Ramayana Epic, an ancient Indian epic, is told with colorful figures. The Ramayana Epic is told differently in various parts of Southeast Asia. But in general, it consists of legends based on the struggle of good and evil. The cave, which has a very colorful atmosphere, is described as a magical place by the visitors.
