Day Trip to Batu Caves Temple
A few weeks ago, my cousins from Singapore decided to pay my family an impromptu visit, as they were done with their stay in a villa rented from yourkohsamuivillas.com and still had some free time on their hands. As the announcement of their wish to visit was so sudden, my mother and I were racking our brains on where to bring them. It was then that my brother suggested Batu Caves Temple, a tourist attraction close to home that we all had not been to before.
Located at Gombak, Selangor, Batu Caves Temple is a popular tourist attraction among both locals and foreigners. It is a limestone hill consisting of 3 main caves and a few smaller ones.
The largest and most popular cave among the three is the Cathedral Cave, which features many Hindu shrines under its 100-metre-high ceiling. To reach the top, the visitors have to climb a series of steps consisting of 272 steps. At the base of the cave are the Art Gallery Cave and the Museum Cave. Both houses an assortment of Hindu statues and paintings that depict their rich culture.
Batu Caves Temple has always been the focal point of the Thaipusam festival, and hence an important part of Hindu culture.
Besides, the flight of stairs had just received a colourful paint job last year, totally transforming its looks and attracting event more visitors. Hence, being the teenagers that they were, they were excited about having the chance to take Instagram worthy pictures (and to learn about Hindu culture, of course!)
On that day, we arrived at Batu Caves at around 11.00 am. It was very crowded because it was also a public holiday. We parked outside the temple.
Even from the outside, we could already spot the giant Lord Murugan statue located at the base of the steps. As we walked in, we saw many visitors already taking photos and feeding the pigeons.
My mother and grandmother did not want to climb the stairs, so they waited for us at the base of the hill. Along our way up, we saw many monkeys running and climbing about. As long as you’re not carrying any food, you’re safe!
After some time, we finally reached the top.
The entrance to the Cathedral Cave was dripping with natural water. After the short hike under the sun, we definitely welcomed the cave’s cooling environment. Since the inside of the cave was dark and slippery, everyone was walking carefully.
On the inside of the sprawling caverns, there were a few small shrines. Not only that, located further into the cave was an opening surrounded by flora that led to the sky. The sunlight filtering in combined with the tranquil atmosphere made it a beautiful sight to behold.
Around half an hour later, we decided to head back down. The climb down was relatively easier.
We met up with my mother and grandmother at the souvenir shop at the base. As you can guess, many types of souvenirs were sold there, such as traditional clothing and trinkets. After some light browsing, we left for home and lunch.
All in all, Batu Caves Temple is a beautiful place that is full of culture and meaning for us Malaysians. It was definitely worth the visit!