A silhouette of Hindu figurines near the entrance of the main cave
Just north of Kuala Lumpur are the Batu Caves, one of the city’s main tourist attractions. Over the weekend, we had our first visitors from the U.S., friends John and Katy, and together we trekked out to the Caves to see what the fuss was about.
After the jump, I learned a little bit about the fuss, and that fuss is Hinduism.
Although the caves weren’t originally used for worship, they’ve evolved over time into one of the holiest Hindu sites in all of Malaysia. At the base of the caves, worshippers purchase milk, flowers and other offerings to be placed at the shrines located inside the cave.
All along the 272 stairs leading up to the cave are wild monkeys, which I found completely endearing at first, until I saw one of them snatch a soda from a woman and snarl at her. At that point, the monkeys and I began to mutually understand each other: I would fear them, and they, in turn, would continue to intimidate me.
Inside the caves, it was easy to see the spirituality of the place. Sunlight poured in from the top of the cave, casting light on the shrines located below. We paused briefly to marvel at the hushed beauty of it all, and then turned to begin our descent, accompanied by a mass of screeching monkeys.
They haunt me still.
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I’m Ann, a mom / wife / lawyer / certified culinary enthusiast. I share recipes, travel guides and home life tips while living overseas. Currently based in São Paulo, Brazil.
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Thanks for the advice!! Still need to visit there — glad it was a good experience! Maybe I can throw an intimidating stare at them when we visit — and also guard my possessions with my life! haha 😉
-Rachael Mathiot (from AAM!) 🙂
Hi Rachael! Glad you enjoyed the post. I was really excited about the monkeys until I realized they’re not the cute, dancing with a beanie cap kind of monkeys.