Sunday, October 6, 2013

Batu Caves (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

This past week, I went on vacation to Malaysia. One of the first places that I went to see were the spiritual Batu Caves. There are three main caves which were formed in a limestone hill, and the site houses several Hindu temples. I saw some astounding statues, viewed people being blessed by swamis, watched monkeys steal from other tourists, and ate some free, delicious Indian food with my hands.

A 50-foot statue of the monkey god Hanuman.

One of the many temples on the site.

People getting blessed by swamis.




There were monkeys playing everywhere.
This is probably the first time I have ever encountered a wild monkey.


This is the entrance to the main cave on site, Cathedral Cave. It is so named because there are several shrines underneath its high, vaulted ceiling. There are 272 steep steps before you reach the top, but the climb is well worth it. The view from the top (or even the middle) is amazing, and the caves were stunning. 

The iconic golden statue is of Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war and victory. It is almost 100 meters tall, and it was an extremely impressive sight to behold.






View from halfway up the 272 steps.

Monkey!

Some delicious Indian food.




This group was gathered around two swamis that were chanting Hindu prayers. With its high, vaulted ceiling, the prayers filled the entire cave, lending the entire scene a spiritual feeling.




A very small monkey, holding a Coke can for comparison.