Batu Caves

Batu Caves பத்து மலை Gua Batu
Entrance to Batu Caves with the Murugan statue
Batu Caves பத்து மலை Gua Batu Location in Malaysia
Name
Proper name	Batumalai Sri Muruga Perumaan Kovil
Geography
Coordinates	3°14′14.64″N 101°41′2.06″E / 3.2374000°N 101.6839056°E / 3.2374000; 101.6839056Coordinates: 3°14′14.64″N 101°41′2.06″E / 3.2374000°N 101.6839056°E / 3.2374000; 101.6839056
Country	Malaysia
State/province	Selangor
District	Gombak
Culture
Primary deity	Murugan
Architecture
Architectural styles	Tamil Architecture
History and governance
Date built	1891
Creator	K. Thamboosamy Pillay
Website	www.batucaves.org

Batu Caves (Tamil: பத்து மலை) 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 (Stone River), which flows past the hill. It is the tenth (Pattu in Tamil) limestone hill from Ampang. Batu Caves is also the name of a nearby village.

The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia.

Batu Caves in short also referred as 10th Caves or Hill for Lord Muruga as there are six important holy shrines in India and four more in Malaysia. The three others in Malaysia are Kallumalai Temple in Ipoh, Tanneermalai Temple in Penang and Sannasimalai Temple in Malacca.

It is also near Selayang where a famous and large wholesale market in Klang Valley located.

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 indigenous Temuan people (a tribe of Orang Asli).

As early as 1860, Chinese settlers began excavating guano for fertilising their vegetable patches. However, they became famous only after the limestone hills were recorded by colonial authorities including Daly and Syers as well as American Naturalist, William Hornaday in 1878.

Batu Caves was promoted as a place of worship by K. Thamboosamy Pillai, an Indian trader. He was inspired by the 'vel'-shaped entrance of the main cave and was inspired to dedicate a temple to Lord Murugan within the caves. In 1890, Pillai, who also founded the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, installed the murti (consecrated statue) of Sri Murugan Swami in what is today known as the Temple Cave. Since 1892, the Thaipusam festival in the Tamil month of Thai (which falls in late January/early February) has been celebrated there.