Batu Caves is a limestone hill to the north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which has a series of caves and cave temples. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Jump to: navigation, search Limestone (CaCO3) is a sedimentary rock composed of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate). ... Jump to: navigation, search Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hasan District Kuala Lumpur District Area  - Total (City) 243. ... Jump to: navigation, search Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong. ...

The 'Orang Asli' (local aboriginal tribes called Jakun) had been aware of the caves for a long time. However, they became famous only after it was discovered by the American Naturalist, William Hornaday in 1878. Orang Asli is a general term used for any indigenous groups that are found in Peninsular Malaysia. ... Jump to: navigation, search Jakuns are an aboriginal race of the Malay Peninsula. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Of the various cave temples that comprise the site, the largest and best known is the Temple or Cathedral Cave, so named because it houses several Hindu shrines beneath its 100 m vaulted ceiling. Jump to: navigation, search A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ...

These serve as the focus of the Hindu community's yearly Thaipusam festival. The site is well known for its numerous macaque monkeys, which visitors feed, sometimes involuntarily. There are 272 steps that a visitor has to climb in order to access the temple at the summit of the hill. Many of the shrines relate the story of Lord Murugan's victory over Soorapadam. An audio tour is available to visitors. Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai, mostly by the Tamil community. ... For the TV show Monkey see Monkey (TV series) Cynomolgus Monkey at Batu Caves, Malaysia A monkey is any member of two of the three groupings of simian primates. ... This article is about the Hindu deity Skanda; for the Buddhist bodhisattva Skanda, see Skanda (Buddhism). ... Soorapadam, or more precisely, Soorapadman, was one of the rakshasas of Hindu mythologies. ...

At the base of the hill are two more cave temples, Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, both of which are full of Hindu statues and paintings.

A little below the Temple Cave is the Dark Cave, a two-kilometer network of relatively untouched caverns. The caverns contain a diverse range of cave fauna, including some unique species, such as Liphistiidae spiders. In order to maintain the cave's ecology, access is restricted. A private company is running tours to the caves, otherwise contact the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) for permission and guidelines. The Liphistiidae are the most primitive living spiders, placed in their own suborder, called the Mesothelae. ...

Stairs approaching Batu Caves

Hindu temple and cave in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ... Hindu temple and cave in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ...

External links

• Batu Caves
• Thaipusam at Batu Caves, Malaysia
• Who is Lord Murugan?
• history of Batu Caves