When finding this new place to talk about this week with you guys and gals, I found a place that has many of ancient and religious meanings behind it. Although I practice Christianity, I love learning about other religions and visiting different places of worships. This week is focused on the Batu Caves and Malaysia.

Usually when one thinks of caves, they think underground caves maybe near a beach. These caves are in a mountainous limestone hill. This hill is the home to many caves and temple caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The name Batu Caves comes from the name of the river that passes through the hills called Batu River. In this area of Malaysia Hinduism is the most predominant religion of the region. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. Lord Murugan is the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the army of the devas (gods).

The limestone in the caves are said to be 400 million years old. Rising 328 feet above the ground, the 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 very high ceiling and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors must climb a steep flight of 272 steps.

I have personally visited caves before and my first question when I enter is where are the bat. If there are no bats, its not a real cave people. No matter what anyone says, it’s not a real cave. There are various undeveloped caves, which contain a diverse range of cave fauna, including some unique species, such as Liphistiidae spiders and Eonycteris and fruit bats. I love fruit bats because they look like rats with wings. Its almost scary to look at but they are very interesting creature. The site is also well known for its numerous macaques, which visitors feed — sometimes involuntarily. These monkeys may also pose a biting hazard to tourists (especially small children) as they can be quite territorial.

This site also holds places to go rock climbing. It is the type of rock climbing that isn’t for people that aren’t at least semi-experienced. Batu Caves offers more than 160 climbing routes. The routes are scattered all around the side of Batu Caves, which is made up of limestone hills rising to 492 feet. While rock climbing is accessible all year around. They also have annual festivals. These festivals also bring people from all around the world. The Batu Caves serve as the focus of the Hindu community’s yearly Thaipusam festival. In 2007, the festival attracted more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in history.

For only 46 dollars a night, I found a lovely hotel. Featuring Balinese-inspired decor, Hotel Richbaliz is in Selayang Point 1.5 miles from Selayang Mall and 7.5 miles from Batu Caves. There are no pets allowed but they do speak English