BY JEFF YONG
ALTHOUGH I live not too far away from Batu Caves (about 15 minutes by car, depending on the traffic), I’ve not been there for the past 30 years, I think.
But I did revisit it recently – which brought back a flood of memories.
The main attraction at Batu Caves is a limestone hill that has a series of caves which date back 400 million years, and cave temples. The location takes its name from Sungai Batu, which flows past the hill.
The main cave’s importance is that it’s one of the most popular Tamil shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan, with a huge gold-coloured statue erected in his honour.
Batu Caves was promoted as a place for Hindu worship from 1890, and it’s now the focal point of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam.
Returning to Batu Caves was an eye-opener. It is a far cry from how it looked years ago, as an endless stream of buses brings tourists from all over the world to the limestone caves.
I was made to understand that it is the third most-visited location in Kuala Lumpur after the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower.
I guess the trudge up the 272 steps to the main cave temple is the main attraction for the 10,000 tourists or so daily.
The steps are now the perfect place for selfies after they’ve been coated with colourful paint.
I did walk up them years ago, although the journey down saw my acrophobia, or fear of heights, get the better of me! It was the same when I was at the Angkor Wat in Siem Reap a while ago.
When it was time to come down, I said to myself: ”Oh, my God ... how am I to walk down those steep steps without feeling giddy or toppling over?”
What I did next was downright embarrassing – but it was all about survival.
To prevent my wobbly feet from doing the twist, or my entire frame from toppling over, I sat down and slid my buttocks down the next step, inch by inch.
When I was half-way down, I was asking myself how I ever got into this situation. Curiosity, I suppose. I persevered, and I got down safely in the end.
I was somewhat comforted by the company of someone nicknamed Kip (Kamarulzaman Yunus), who constantly told me: “Don’t worry Yong, I’m in front of you, I will prevent you from falling.”
But I did worry. If I were to lose my balance, I’d not only bring myself down but Kip as well!
People who know how small I am and how big Kip was (I jest – it was the other way round!) burst out laughing whenever I relate that story.
Back to Batu Caves: One of the most colourful sights I saw on the way there were florists selling garlands for worship. Their workmanship was so fine and intricate, that it was a sight to behold, really.
I also saw some huge garlands which reminded me of Ramu, the wonderful elephant, from the 1971 Hindi movie Haati Mera Saathi, starring Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja.
I’m told that the temple’s committee has interesting development plans for the area, such as building more facilities for devotees, visitors and retailers.
The way I see it, it’s also going to reap more revenue for the government.
Government officers at all levels ought to see the benefits in facilitating the non-governmental sector whenever something positive or beneficial for the community is proposed.
It goes a long way for everyone’s well-being when done properly and with integrity.
Jeff Yong, after making his mark in the twisty maze of mainstream journalism, has finally decided to enjoy what he does best – observing the unusual and recounting the gleeful. He can be contacted at lifestyle.borak@gmail.com.
