The Batu Caves Temple in Malaysia stands out as a monumental focal point of the significant contribution made by the Indian settlers in the development of Malaya and then Malaysia (1963). The 113 year old main temple, dedicated to Lord Subramaniar, is lodged in a cave about 400 feet above ground level.

The three caves are known as the Valluvar Kottam, Art Gallery and the Ramayana Cave. The depictions are spectacularly graphic. The Ramayana Cave presents a concise but comprehensive narration of Lord Rama's history.

Valluvar Kottam and Art Gallery Caves

A short walk along a zigzag bridge over a pond teeming with fish, terrapin and tortoises brings the visitor to Valluvar Kottam and Art Gallery Caves. Quaint cupolas at the angles of the zigzag bridge provide shade where the visitor could stop to watch or feed the teeming aquatic life.The cave walls of the Vallurvar Kottam are covered with statuary exhibits, murals and inscriptions of the poet's couplets. The exhibits are used to illustrate relevant couplets from the Tirukkural, his entire works. Valluvar Kottam is so lit that the atmosphere of a silent cave is well preserved.Not to miss is the statue of the five-legged bull. The owner of this freak, five-legged bull gave it away to the Batu Caves Temple soon after it was born. The fifth leg of the bull grew from the back near the bull's hump. In all other respects the bull was healthy and roamed freely around the temple grounds as long as it lived among a harem of cows. It died a natural death after spending its entire life on the temple grounds.

The Ramayana Cave

The Ramayana Cave occurs to the extreme left as one faces the sheer wall of the hill. On the way to the Ramayana Cave, 50 foot tall murti of Hanuman and a temple dedicated to Hanuman.The consecration ceremony of the temple was held on November 2001.The Ramayana Cave depicts the story of Ramar in a chronicle manner quite effectively. The Cave is well lit and allows the visitor 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, Kumbhakarann, brother of King Ravana of Lanka.

The Dark Cave

The hill massif is also home to the primitive Trapdoor spider, Liphistius Batuensis, which is in danger of extinction. It is believed that the Batu Caves are the only place left in the world where this spider species still exists. Naturalists fear that this rare spider might face the same fate as the serow, a species of mountain goats, last seen in 1989 and, which might have been hunted out of existence in this area.The Dark Cave which occurs at a point along the stairway leading to the Temple Cave, is still a pristine state. Cave formations and crystals carved and moulded by the hands of Nature remain untouched by the destructive hands of man. Various species of fauna abound in this cave.