Tuesday 26 July 2011
Friday 1 July 2011
Thaipusam Festival
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| The Silver Temple Chariot |
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| Devotee carrying Kavadi |
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| Devotee carrying Kavadi |
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| Devotees pierce their bodies to show gratitude to Lord Muruga |
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| Devotee holds a Vel and walks up the stairs |
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| Colourful Kavadi |
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| Parents carry their baby by using sugar cane sticks and a cloth to show gratitude to Lord Muruga |
Every year, on Thaipusam, as many as 800,000 devotees and other visitors may throng the caves. As a form of penance or sacrifice, many of them carry kavadis (literally, "burden," such as a pitcher or jug). These are large, brightly decorated frameworks, usually combined with various metal hooks and skewers which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and tongue.By doing this penance they expect some favours from their Gods.The festival is held in the tenth month of the Hindu calendar (mostly the end of January).
The procession starts on the evening before the Thaipusam festival at the Sri Mariamman Temple in the town centre of Kuala Lumpur.
By doing penance they want to extort some favours from the Gods.
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| Kavadis |
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| Kavadis |
The kavadis is placed on the shoulders of the devotee. The kavadis represents a miniature shrine.
Women carry a silver jug full of milk on their heads, some are pierced through their cheeks and tongues and others not.
Chains are dropped from the central body of the kavadis and hooked onto the flesh of the bearer. The length of the spears had to be limited to a metre in consideration for other devotees. Others hook limes, oranges or coconuts onto their bodies.
They are always accompanied by an entourage of relatives and friends to make them enthusiastic with dance parades, songs, musicians playing the drums and the flutes.
As they arrive at the shrine at the Batu Caves, the Swami removes the hooks, spears etc. The vow is finally fulfilled. Thaipusam is celebrated at Peninsular of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and on Penang
The procession on Penang starts on the eve before the Thaipusam festival at the Chettiar Temple in Penang Street.
When you don't visit the Batu Caves at Thaipusum, they are still very beautiful.
Every day there is a little celebration of a group of Hindus in the Batu Caves. Every time it's an imposing event, although there's no self torture.
Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave is he best known and biggest of the caves.
It's visited by many devotees.
The ceiling is 100 m above the ground and this huge chamber is lighted by daylight from several holes in the ceiling.
At the end of the caves you can see the bright sky, when you look above you.
If you go up the stairs, you can meet a lot of long tailed-macaque monkeys and if you have peanuts with you, they'll climb to you as I won't consider recommending. You might fall though.
You can take photo's of them, carrying their babies for the peanuts. There are locals in the entrance, who will approach you to buy peanuts.
Women carry a silver jug full of milk on their heads, some are pierced through their cheeks and tongues and others not.
Chains are dropped from the central body of the kavadis and hooked onto the flesh of the bearer. The length of the spears had to be limited to a metre in consideration for other devotees. Others hook limes, oranges or coconuts onto their bodies.
They are always accompanied by an entourage of relatives and friends to make them enthusiastic with dance parades, songs, musicians playing the drums and the flutes.
As they arrive at the shrine at the Batu Caves, the Swami removes the hooks, spears etc. The vow is finally fulfilled. Thaipusam is celebrated at Peninsular of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and on Penang
The procession on Penang starts on the eve before the Thaipusam festival at the Chettiar Temple in Penang Street.
When you don't visit the Batu Caves at Thaipusum, they are still very beautiful.
Every day there is a little celebration of a group of Hindus in the Batu Caves. Every time it's an imposing event, although there's no self torture.
Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave is he best known and biggest of the caves.
It's visited by many devotees.
The ceiling is 100 m above the ground and this huge chamber is lighted by daylight from several holes in the ceiling.
At the end of the caves you can see the bright sky, when you look above you.
If you go up the stairs, you can meet a lot of long tailed-macaque monkeys and if you have peanuts with you, they'll climb to you as I won't consider recommending. You might fall though.
You can take photo's of them, carrying their babies for the peanuts. There are locals in the entrance, who will approach you to buy peanuts.
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| Kavadis |
| Standing at 42.7 m (140 ft) high, the world's tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, is located outside Batu Caves. |
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| Kavadis |
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| A devotee carrying a Kavadi |
The Ramayana Cave
The Ramayana Cave depicts the life story of Rama in a chronicle manner quite effectively. The cave is well lit and allows the visitors to stroll leisurely viewing the depictions along the irregular walls of the cave. One might experience the feeling that one is strolling through the giant intestines of the mighty demon, Kumbhakarna, brother ofthe King Ravana of Lanka.
Photo Gallery : The beauty of Batu Caves
A showcase of Hindu deities status and mythological arts in caves
Batu Caves have a Hindu Temple and an art gallery featuring mythological Hindu statues.
Though it is a Holy Place of the Hindus, Batu Caves is also a "tourist attraction" opening it door for every one from all over the world.
Small native monkeys line the concrete rail all along the ascent.
An awe inspiring view from the top is part of the reward. The cave has its amazing effects in water dropping from the hollow opening at the top. Climbing up the stairs may seem impossible to some, but once up there at the top, the overview of KL will captivate anybody and will make them climb up again and again.
Batu caves is 13 km away from north of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. Consisting three main caves and a number of smaller ones. The caves are of limestone of 400 meters length and 100 meter high. They were discovered in 1892. Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave is he best known and biggest of the caves. It has a temple of Subramaniya Swamy.
Though it is a Holy Place of the Hindus, Batu Caves is also a "tourist attraction" opening it door for every one from all over the world.
Small native monkeys line the concrete rail all along the ascent.
An awe inspiring view from the top is part of the reward. The cave has its amazing effects in water dropping from the hollow opening at the top. Climbing up the stairs may seem impossible to some, but once up there at the top, the overview of KL will captivate anybody and will make them climb up again and again.
Batu caves is 13 km away from north of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. Consisting three main caves and a number of smaller ones. The caves are of limestone of 400 meters length and 100 meter high. They were discovered in 1892. Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave is he best known and biggest of the caves. It has a temple of Subramaniya Swamy.
A Walk Through Batu Caves,Selangor
Batu Caves is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples located 13 km north of Kuala Lumpur. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia which attracts over 1.5 million pilgrims yearly, making it one of the largest annual gatherings anywhere in the world.The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old.
Rising almost 100 m above the ground, Batu Caves temple complex consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, has a 100 m-high ceiling, and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors have to climb a steep flight of 272 steps.
A 42.7m high statue of Lord Muruga was unveiled in January 2006, having taken 3 years to construct. It is the tallest Lord Muruga statue in the world.The site is also well known for its numerous macaque monkeys, which visitors feed sometimes involuntarily. These monkeys may also pose a biting hazard to tourists (especially small children) as they can be quite territorial.
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