Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHRISTIAN KOBER / GETTY IMAGES ©
TOP SIGHT
BATU CAVES
One of Malaysia's national treasures, the venerable Hindu temples housed in and
around these limestone caves have been a devotional sight for more than 120 years.
It's always an atmospheric, colourful and fascinating place to visit but no more so
than in late January or early February when a million pilgrims converge on the caves
during the three-day Thaipusam.
History
The American naturalist William Hornaday is credited with 'discovering' the caves in
1878, but at least 15 years earlier Chinese settlers were collecting guano from here to fertil-
ise their vegetable patches. Long before that indigenous peoples would also likely have
used the caves for shelter.
Temple Cave
In 1891, K Thambusamy Pillai, founder of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple (
Click here
)
in
KL, established a shrine in what is now known as the Temple Cave. During Thaipusam a
statue of Murugan, also known as Lord Subramaniam, is transported in a silver chariot
between the two temples.
