Batu Caves, Selangor

It is a giddy excitement to be given an opportunity to venture to new and yet old places. The excitement can sometimes engulfed the clarity on deciding where to head on first and how many spots to go for indecisiveness is another err that sprout from the uncontrolled giddiness such as mine.

Murti of Murugan

It is a massive statue, tall enough to reach the main entrance to the 400 million year old cave. The golden coat on his figure gives a total contrast to the nature behind and it is more apparent when the lighting from the sun is right. It is also an amazement to think the amount of  logistic involved on building this murti. But to Hindu devotees which one of them I saw while entering the cave, the pleasure of pouring their physical and mental capabilities along with devotion to this work must had been very gratifying.

The Cardio Staircase , lost the count

Two things I realized as I climbed the unforgiving staircase; 1) I started to develop fear of height 2) I really need to get back in shape, which was based on number of 'pit stops' that I made. The staircase is pretty steep with each set comprised of 16 to 17 small steps. Before reaching the grand entrance, another small cave known as Dark Cave located before the main entrance, where it is open to those who are interested on flora and fauna that flourishing within the cave, which some of it, the invertebrates particularly, only to be found here.

Another murti at the cave main entrance

The peculiar smell of guano was strong by the time I reached the top. A small murti was the first thing that greeted my sight, stood within the crevices of limestone rocks. Above it, is the multilayered limestone mantle that once covered whole Malaysia. I could not see any bats but few birds did pass through, heading to hidden spots within wall crevices. As I observed the wall, my mind fell back to certain documentaries where certain species of snake and centipede consume bats as their prey.

Putting the gory thought aside, I proceed to the main hall of the cave where a bit further to the front a temple is under construction. 

A temple on its way

A gopuram is clearly on its way. Interesting facts regarding the entrance tower (gopuram) is that it symbolizes Mount Meru where most of Hindu Gods reside. It is usually constructed with strong base at the bottom and like a pyramid the structure narrowed up , with many sculptures engraved, filling up the structure wall. One thing that I noticed is that how compact the engraving is that it is hard to find a space on the gopuram without any sculptures. 

Another notion that crossed my mind was the sturdiness of the cave. The ever continuance of dead and live loads within the cave can certainly affect if not much the ability of this ancient rock to withstand the influx of the need for more temples. The only limestone cave ever exist to these day from Selangor has certainly able to cast its irresistible attraction not only to its devotees but to anticipating tourists such as I. The formidable nature that withstand the test of time and overcome the ruthless climate changes for over so many millennia has certainly proved that it might be able to stand strong for more generations to come.