Seven kilometres from Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves stand as a fascinating monument. During your visit to Malaysia, dropping by here is a must.
Overview
Batu Caves are both a man-made and natural wonder, which incorporates Malaysia’s limestone mountains and religious sculptures of the Hindu faith. The limestone tower has been around for almost 400 million years. The earliest inhabitants of this area are known to be the Temuan tribe of indigenous people.
During Thaipusam
The Batu caves become the focal point during the Hindu festival called ‘Thaipusam’, attracting a large number of devotees and visitors. Held towards the end of January, the procession begins the day before at the Sri Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur.
Kavadis
Many devotees carry offerings, such as containers of Milk, to Lord Muruga on large ‘kavadis’. Kavadis are huge semi-circular ornate pieces of wood or steel that are bent and attached to a structure in such a way that it can be balanced on the shoulders. Although the journey from Somerset Puteri Harbour Iskandar Puteri and several other hotel apartments in Johor Bahru take a while, it’s sure worth the visit.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+