Well Worth The Steps

      In addition to the food in Kuala Lumpur, another highlight to my time spent on the Malay Pennisula was the exploration of the Batu Caves. One of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India, this complex cave system consists of three major caverns and multiple smaller ones. Dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Murugan who, according to lore, prevailed victorious after a battle with the demon Soorapadam. These caves are the site of the Hindu festival Thaipusam, which falls in late January or early February each year and draws massive crowds of worshipers from around the globe.

      The largest of the sacred caverns is referred to as the Temple Cave. With an impressively high ceiling of over 300 feet, visitors must climb an extremely steep flight of 272 stairs to reach the entrance. The eroded limestone which has formed these caves is said to be an estimated 400 million years old (seems outlandish) with some of these voids used as shelter by the indigenous tribes of the past (seems more believable). Before trekking the series of stairs though, I was in awe of the iconic 142 feet tall golden statue of Lord Murugan – the tallest of its kind in the world. And once inside the Temple Cave I was greeted by a murti, or consecrated statue, of Lord Murugan which was put in place in 1890.

      The Ramayana Cave – the next largest cavern – shares the same mountainous limestone walls that the Temple Cave does. The outside of this cave's entrance is guarded by a 50 feet tall statue of Hanuman, a monkey who is a devotee and aide to Lord Rama in Hindu folklore.

      While on the subject of monkeys...when ascending and descending the 272 steps which lead to and from the Temple Cave, an army of macaques wait and observe your every move. It's a foregone conclusion that they will end up stealing from or biting unsuspecting tourists, rushing in and grasping anything that they can wrap their little monkey fingers around. If my camera or wallet would have been stolen, you can bet that I'd never, ever admit to getting mugged by a monkey. Instead, you'd be reading the story of how four guys blindsided me and stole my belongings...though not without receiving black eyes and losing a few teeth first!