Batu Caves, Malaysia

Batu Caves,one of Kuala Lumpur’s most frequented tourist attractions, is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu, which flows past the hill. It is the tenth limestone hill from Ampang. Batu Caves is also the name of a nearby village.

The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old. Some of the cave entrances were used as shelters by the aboriginal Temuan / Besisi people (a tribe of Orang Asli). As early as 1860, Chinese settlers began excavating guano for fertilising their vegetable patches.

When was Batu Caves built?...

Since 1892, the Thaipusam festival in the Tamil month of Thai (which falls in late January/early February) has been celebrated there. Wooden steps up to the Temple Cave were built in 1920 and have since been replaced by concrete steps.

To get to the Temple Cave, you will need to climb the steep 272 steps to the top of the Batu Caves (open daily from 7am to 7pm). You start from the foot of Batu Caves near the foot of Lord Murugan's statue. BEWARE of lots of monkeys here.

When it comes to the Batu Caves entrance fee, one of the great things is that the main temple complex (where all the photos in this article are from) is free.

How do you get from Batu Caves to Kuala Lumpur?
From KL Sentral, metro to and fro costs 20 RM per person.

Dress code:

Remember this is a place of worship. If you do not like being stared at or pointed at by locals be sure to cover your legs and shoulders; do not wear shorts, short skirts or low cut tops.

Its a Must visit place when you are in Kuala Lumpur.

Ramayan Cave:

When you enter, you find a big Hanuman statue. And just beside that theres a Ramayan Cave. Its also a must visit place. The entre fee is 5RM per person. No cave at Batu is more spectacularly embellished than Ramayana Cave, which boasts psychedelic dioramas of the Indian epic 'Ramayana'. Inside you can't miss the giant statue of Kumbhakarna, brother of Ravana and a deep sleeper (note the attempts to wake him with arrows and cymbals). Climb the stairs to a shrine featuring a naturally occurring lingam, a stalagmite that is a symbol of Shiva.