Seeking Blessings From Lord Murugesu

The Batu Caves, located a short drive out of Kuala Lumpur is a tourists attraction for two reasons: Firstly, due to the breathtaking natural rock formation, and secondly as a place of reverence for the country's sizeable Hindu population. The caves made are formed from natural limestone by a slow process that scientists estimate took more than 400 million years. The name of the caves is taken from the nearby Batu River, which also lends its name to the village surrounding the hills.

Though the caves are today considered one of the most venerated Hindu shrines outside of India, it was not always a place of religious worship. The caves were used to extract fertilizer by the Chinese farmers that inhabited the area in the 1800s and were also documented by the American naturalist Wlliam Hornaday as a place of geological importance.

The Batu Caves were converted into a religious shrine by an Indian businessman in Malaysia by the name of Thamboosamy Pillai who was inspired by the conch shaped entrance which is considered to be auspicious in Hindu culture. The shimmering gold statue of Lord Murugesu that stands at the entrance to the shrine is said to be the largest one of the deity.

Inside the temple, devotional art work can be seen painted on the walls of the shrine, celebrating the victories of the gods over evil. Though considered to be a single shrine, the caves are actually home to a complex of temples each dedicated to a specific Hindu deity. Among them is Hanuman, for whom a 50 foot high murti has been constructed.

The holiness of this shrine to the Hindus is underlined in the annual pilgrimage that they undertake during the festival of Thaipusam in the month of February. Hindus from all over the world flock here in their millions to undertake the arduous 272 step climb to the caves. Located just a short drive out of the busy city of Kuala Lumpur, a place like Ascott Kuala Lumpur which provides holiday accommodation Kuala Lumpur would be a good place to stay for devotees wishing to visit the Batu Caves.