Batu Caves Malaysia

Life is meaningful when you feel it is fun and can't wait to wake up to do the thing that you love in everyday morning.

Well, I woke up early today to prepare myself to go Batu Caves. What is Batu Caves? and where it is?

Ok, if direct translate into English, Batu =Rock / Stone. So, now you know is rock or stone caves. Yea, the mountain basically is a rock mountain. Is the name Batu Caves taken because of the type of mountain it is? Not actually, according to Wikipedia: " It takes its name from the Sungai Batu (Batu River), which flows past the hill and also it is the tenth (Pattu in Tamil) limestone hill from Ampang. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village."

Now, let's see what so special about this cave. 

• limestone forming
• said to be around 400 million years old. 
• Some of the cave entrances were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people (a tribe of Orang Asli).
• In 1890, Pillai, who also founded the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, installed the murti (consecrated statue) of Sri Murugan Swami in what is today known as the Temple Cave.
• Since 1892, the Thaipusam festival in the Tamil month of Thai (which falls in late January/early February) has been celebrated there. 

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). You will see Hindu devotees to perform Kavadi Attam. What is Kaadi Attam? Let's see the pictures that I have gotten from Google search as below (Warning : pictures shown below might be invidious):

Awful? Painful? No, it is divine. Why they have to do all these? Why they torturing themselves? No No No.

Calm down and read the explanation from Wikipedia about Kavadi Attam.

The Kavadi Attam ("Burden Dance", also written as cavadee) is the ceremonial sacrifice and offering performed by devotees during the worship of Murugan, the Hindu God of War. It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasises debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan.

Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting approximately 48 days before Thaipusam. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. Thekavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God. 

On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the fleshby piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common. 

The simplest kavadi is a semicircular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks."

Thanks to Wikipedia. 

OK, after the long story about Batu Caves. Now, let the pictures speak. 

This is the video that I shot from the main entrance (Remember to prepare RM2 for entrance fee if you are driving in a car), otherwise it should be free, if you walk in.

The main entrance

On the left hand side of the main entrance is a Hindu primary school.

Other than drive a car to Batu Caves, you can also take KTM to Batu Caves. For people from Seremban line, now you can go to Batu Caves KTM station straight without doing a transit. 

This is the new route which just implemented on last year (2015) December if not mistaken.

This is the entrance for those who take KTM 

Once you have entered from the entrance, then you will see this Hanuman statue.

Wow, it is huge.

On the left side of the entrance is a small temple.

 

Then, you can see another temple which located in front of the KTM entrance. You have to take out your shoes before going up to this temple as you can see the red marks are the reminder.

This is how the temple looks like. 

After the previous temple, next, I found this small shop.

Inside the shop you can find a mamak (Indian restaurant) and also stalls that selling souvenirs and I saw China aunties looking for hair dyer, kind of traditional herbs hair dyer. 

After the shop, you will see an entrance to a mini zoo.

The bird park is one park of the mini zoo, other than that, I'm not sure anything else is inside the zoo as I never go in before. 

After the entrance of mini zoo, there is a pond and I like this tree that in front of the pond.

The nice view of the pond.

After the pond, you will see a Henna art stall right beside there.

This is the Henna art stall

Walk further again you will see there is a row of statue of Hindu Gods.

You will see many pigeons at the empty space in front of the Batu Caves tall stairs or the Lord Murugan Statue.

Finally I'm here. Great sunshine that create great picture.

Let's selfie in front of Lord Murugan Statue.

Here are the things that prohibited by the management of Batu Caves. No exercise, no pets, no smoking, no spitting, no short pants especially for female visitors(they will provide a long batik pants for you in case you forgot to wear a long pants to there. Just pay RM5 and then refund RM2 to you, RM3 as rental fee).

Start climbing now!!!

Climbing up 272 steps of stair. 

Along the way up to the cave, you can see many monkeys. Be aware of your belongings as they are fearless of human and sometimes they will grab your belongings away.

Is on my half way now. 

Yea, I'm now at the top of the stair. Finished climbing up 272 steps of the stair.

This is how the top of the stair looks like. Here is the end of the stair and also the entrance to the cave.

Another statue up here. 

 Let's go into the cave

 Once you have entered to the cave, you can find a stall selling souvenirs on your right side. 

This is how the cave looks like. Go further in, you will see another stair that go to another smaller cave, Let's move. 

Statues in the cave.

Up there are two small holes or caves that you can see the sun light comes from.

Here is another small temple in the big cave.

Ok, here is the stair to the smaller cave up there. Let's go!

The view from upside of the stair. 

Here is the smaller cave, as you can see, there is another small temple again. And up there is a big hole. The hole, the temple, the art of the stone, and the sun light created such fascinating scene. 

Jump!!!

 Ok, is time to go out. 

This monkey is so fierce, it grabbed a guy's water bottle to drink the water inside the bottle. I believe the monkey is forced to do so as their habitat might be polluted. Human is the enemy to nature. Sigh....

On my half way going down, I found there is another cave which called "Dark Cave".

 You can buy ticket and join the Dark Cave Tours for 45mins long. Price as stated in above picture.

OK, phone and camera battery died. Therefore, pictures ended here.

Really enjoy the great natural view in Batu Caves here and also the amazing craftsmanship on the buildings and also all the sculptures.

I wish that all of us can really commit in taking care of our environment. Don't wait until it is too late to do so.

Let's think about it, if there is no fresh air and clean water in this earth. Are you still able to survive? What you can do with your money, your big house, your big car, your luxury belongings? 

People always define success as how much you earn, how much power you have. But, along the way they success, how much pollution they have done to the environment. Think about it. 

Business nowadays are encouraging people to buy their products, it created unnecessary wastes that severely impacted to environment. The more you earn, the more you destroy to environment.