The Colors of Thaipusam, Batu Caves 2010 (Part 1)

Posted by shloke 27 January 2010
I WANT MOMMA!

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 10:6am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 400

WOW!

Fatherly LOVE :)

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 10:46am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 400

During Thaipusam, one way of doing penance, is to shave the head and facial hair.

This little girl was crying out aloud! Father was reassuring daughter that mom was walking behind carrying a pot of milk.

AMMA!

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 10:46am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 250

Little girl was happy after seeing momma right behind :)

The Incredible Hulk in Batu Caves??

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 9:42am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/9.0, ISO Equiv.: 100

Nope. Gigantic muscled green feet! Belong to Lord Hanuman :)

BEHOLD! Lord Hanuman

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 9:34am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/10, ISO Equiv.: 100

A towering statue of Lord Hanuman (हनुमान्).

He is considered by some to be the 11th incarnation (Rudra avatar) of Lord Shiva, and is considered the most powerful and intelligent amongst divine beings. His most famous feat, as described in the Ramayana, was leading an army of monkeys to fight the demon King Ravana. Source: Wikipedia

YUM! YUM! It's M.I.L.K!

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 11:58am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 800

Thieving macaques are EVERYWHERE! These nasty monkeys were eying goodies carried by devotees and visitors. I've witnessed at least 5 instances of daylight robberies. These monkeys will snatch food and milk!

An Offering to God

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 11:10am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 800

A devotee carrying a small pot of milk up the steps to be poured on the Lord Muruga's Vel.

Giant Koi Pond At Cave Villa

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 9:49am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100

A gigantic koi pond at the cave villa. You need to pay a nomimal sum to enter this cave villa. I captured this picture from the outside. Here is the official portal http://www.cavevilla.com.my/contactus.html

Honk! Honk! FISH!!!

Location: Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Date: 27th January 2010 (Wednesday), 9:48am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 100

A cute looking goose standing at the side of the pond.


I've always wanted to celebrate Thaipusam with my Indian friends at Batu Caves, Selangor. Last year, I had a week long high fever that prevented me from visiting Batu Caves during Thaipusam. The WORST FEVER in my life...EVER! I was 'attacked' by vicious mosquitoes during my hiking in Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve.

This year (2010), I traveled back to Batu Caves two days before the proper celebration. I cannot 'tahan' (translation: stand) the crowd. Imagine hundreds of thousands of devotees and visitors jamming the entire place. You'll need at least one hour just to climb up the 272 steps. People are everywhere! So, I decided to avoid the crowd and check out pre-Thaipusam celebration at Batu Caves.

This will be my fourth climb to the top of the cave. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy :) Perhaps my frequent hiking and trekking activities increased my stamina. Many teenagers and Mat Sallehs were huffing and puffing...struggling to get to the top of the cave.

Remember to catch Part 2 for more travelogues and exclusive pictures. Stay tune!

Last updated 30th January 2009 (9:10 p.m.)

Batu Caves - Getting There:

Batu Caves is located in Gombak district, which is accessible through Jalan Kuching and Middle Ring Highway. The easiest way to get to Batu Caves is to take the KTM commuter train from KL Sentral station to the Sentul Station.

Otherwise you can catch a bus from downtown KL, click here for more info on buses to Batu Caves.

During Thaipusam, there are many public buses that take you there from Puduraya and Kotaraya. Just look out for signs indicating Batu Caves. The LRT and KTM also operates till late to accommodate passengers.

For more information, call KTM at +6 03 2267 1200 or visit http://www.ktmb.com.my/

Batu Caves - Google Maps:


Batu Caves & Thaipusam - Read More/Useful Links:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Caves (Wikipedia Article About Batu Caves)
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaipusam (Wikipedia Article About Thaipusam)
  3. http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MCUL_thaipusam.htm (Article From Journey Malaysia)
  4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman (Wikipedia Article About Lord Hanuman)
  5. http://tinyurl.com/ycbslxo (Read All My Articles About Batu Caves)
  6. http://www.cavevilla.com.my/contactus.html (Official Portal of Caves Villa, Batu Caves)

10 comments

  1. xplorer Says:
  2. i went to thaipusam also last year .It was extremely crowded , better to used your motobike to go there.There is a possibility that i will go there also this weekend

     
  3. Carmen Says:
  4. the monkey looks very cute...

    climbing the steps there is a total challenge for me!!

    i cant even climb half of it...

     
  5. Thomas Lee Says:
  6. i like the monkey shot,hah!
    these monkey are more than thugs,they wouldn't let you pass unless you give what they want.

     
  7. shloke Says:
  8. xplorer

    I went for pre-Thaipusam 2010 Celebration (few days ago). I might returned to Batu Caves this coming Saturday for the actual celebration. I need to overcome my agoraphobia.

    Carmen

    Cute? A big YES! But these macaques are fierce and nasty. Strange...I felt comfortable standing right next to this alpha male. I do not despise them. These hairy primates are my long lost cousins :)

    Thomas

    Welcome to my photo and travel blog!

    Thanks for your kind compliment! I agree with you 110% - these are monkeys are fast and furious.

    Cheers!
    mylo

     
  9. Roger Says:
  10. An incredible celebration at Batu Caves. In Singapore we only have a kavadi-carrying procession. Your Batu Caves really unique.

     
  11. Anonymous Says:
  12. Really photogenic! Got monkeys, statutes, pilgrims, etc! I can easily snap 100s of photos!!

    Re: University of Greenwich / 格林威治大学 / Universiti Greenwich / グリニッジ大学

    That's right. It's a fountain with a lamp post. By the way, that's not a dolphin. Not Mickey Mouse. ;-p

    Re: Land of Hope & Glory / 希望与光荣之地 / Bumi Keharapan & Kemulian / 希望と栄光の国

    You do? The ceiling design is actually a bit too modern for the hall. But it's kinda interesting.

    Re: Walking on Broken Glass / 走在碎玻璃上 / Berjalan di atas Kaca yang Pecah / 壊れたガラスの上を歩いている

    No lah. I am sure you've seen trapped bubbles before lah! If you make your own ice, sometimes you get those bubbles. Ha ha..

    Re: Gallery in the Street / 街上的画廊 / Galeri di tepi Jalan / 街の画廊

    It's the same here - no photography policy in the gallery. But sometimes (rarely), they let you take photos.

     
  13. shloke Says:
  14. Roger

    The magnitude of the celeration in Batu Caves, Malaysia is simply amazing - over 1.6 million people have visited the cave for the last three days!

    1ondoncaller

    It's a photographer's haven. Batu Caves looks like a little India :)

    Cheers to all!
    mylo

     
  15. Wow, so long since I visited Batu Caves. I think the last time there was about 2 years ago. Thanks for bringing the story here. Love the monkey pic too.

    Regards,
    David
    Malaysia Asia

     
  16. Shelyn Says:
  17. What did you see 2 days before the celebration? Ppl already camped there?

    The traffic was horrible at the itself. I stayed in Selayang and must pass through Jalan Kuching in order to get to KL. Damn horrible traffic that I had to turn around and use LDP.

     
  18. shloke Says:
  19. David

    Batu Caves is pretty much the same. But the Thaipusam festival is getting bigger and grander.

    Shelyn

    Actually....nothing much. Mostly Paal Kudam (milk pots) bearer. You can check out the Thaipusam stalls selling fresh and delicious Indian foods, trinkets and many more.

    I'll stay overnight - Thaipusam eve until the actual day for year 2011. An amazing festival not to be missed!!

    Traffic will be all time jam during the entire week of Thaipusam :)

    Cheers to all!
    mylo

     
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shloke
Traveling & photography are the most rewarding & enriching experiences in my life. Photography is all about discovery, enjoying myself, having adventure, learning people & nature. The greatest experience for me is the connection I felt with NATURE. If you haven’t seen Malaysia, you haven’t seen the world! My photography works are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.
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