Top 5 Remarkable Facts about the Lord Murugan Statue at Batu Caves

Photo by Jorge Láscar – Wikimedia

Top 5 Remarkable Facts about the Lord Murugan Statue at Batu Caves

The Batu caves are one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India. These sacred caves are dedicated to Lord Murugan.

The caves are the focal point of the Tamil festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia. They are part of the six important holy shrines in both India and Malaysia.

Murugan temple in Batu Caves is managed by the Board of Management of Shri Mariamman Temple.

This board manages other important Hindu temples in Malaysia. It is also a Hindu Religious Consultant body to the Government of Malaysia.

At Batu caves, you will find the famous Lord Murugan Statue. This statue is one of the tallest statues of a Hindu deity in Malaysia, subsequently, it is the third tallest statue of a Hindu deity in the world.

The tallest being Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue in Indonesia and Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal. Standing at 140 feet, the Lord Murugan statue is the tallest in Malaysia.

There is more to learn about this magnificent golden statue. Check them out in these top 5 remarkable facts about the Lord Murugan Statue at Batu caves.

1. Lord Murugan statue is the tallest in the world

Photo by Jorge Láscar – Wikimedia

The Lord Murugan statue is among the world’s tallest statues. Located in a temple, this statue is 140 feet tall and stands beside 272 steps leading to the Batu caves.

Built-in 2006, Lord Murugan Statue was dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is regarded are the remover of obstacles, additionally, he is the Hindu god of war and victory.

Both Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugan are brothers. They were the sons of Lord Shiva who was the Destroyer, and Goddess Parvati, Goddess of Fertility, Strength and Power.

The sculptors commissioned to work on this sculpture took three years to complete. 

It is the tallest Hindu statue in Malaysia, the tallest Lord Murugan statue globally and the second tallest statue of a Hindu god in the universe.

2. The initial Lord Murugan statue was small

Photo by Jalakandapuram – Wikimedia

These caves were not always a place of worship. They were turned into a place of worship by an Indian trader known as K. Thamboosamy Pillai.

Thamboosamy had installed a small statue of Lord Murugan in the caves in 1892. It is believed that he was inspired by the shape of the cave, which resembled a vel.

Vel is a celestial spar that was carried by Lord Murugan who was regarded as the Commander-in-Chief of the celestial army.

Before Thamboosamy turned the caves into a shrine, the caves were home to the Orang Asli.

Later in the 1860s, Chinese immigrants arrived at the caves. They collected organic fertilizer made from bird droppings which they used in their farms.

There are other attractions within the compound of Batu Caves Temple such as the Ramayana Cave, the Hanuman Temple and the Venkateswara Temple.

The Batu Caves Temple is a pilgrimage area for the annual Hindu festival of Thaipusam. Believers gather here to offer Kavadi to Lord Murugan as thanksgiving.

3. About 15 sculptors were commissioned to carve the Lord Murugan statue

Photo by Kawaputra – Wikimedia

The construction of the Lord Murugan statue required the skilled work of 15 sculptors from India. They did this work for three years.

Finished in 2006, the Lord Murugan statue was unveiled during the Thaipusam festival.

This statue is 140 ft and is the tallest in Malaysia. The construction cost of the statue was 2.5 million ringgit Malaysia.

They required 350 tons of steel bars, 300l of gold paint, and 1,550 cubic meters of concrete.

Years later, there are plans to build another imposing statue at 41.1 metres at the Kathirvel Murugan temple in Sornamalai, Tamil Nadu. This work will be commissioned to the same team of 15 sculptors.

The new statue will mainly be built from reinforced concrete.

4. Lord Murugan Statue is at a strategic location

Lord Murugan’s statue is located in one of the most remarkable parts of Malaysia, the Batu Caves.

This series of caves are found on a limestone hill, some of which are cave temples.

The caves are about 13 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur and derived their name from the Batu River.

These caves are some of the most famous Hindu shrines outside of India. Archaeologists believe that these caves are more than 400 million years old.

The Batu caves are a collection of a network of caves, they include the temple cave, the Dark Cave, the Museum cave, Fallen caves, Sakai cave and the Quarry caves.

Dedicated to Lord Murugan, the shrine attracts thousands of pilgrims during the Thaipusam festival.

By looking at the size of Lord Murugan’s statue, one gets the sense of reverence and respect accorded to Lord Murugan by his disciples.

5. There is a special ritual performed by Lord Murugan devotees

Photo by tajai – Wikimedia

During the annual Thaipusam festival, followers of Lord Murugan must first fast for a month. They are also required to shave their heads before they can carry the kavadi on Thaipusam.

The kavadi is a special offering that they give to Lord Murugan. For one to qualify to carry a kavadi, one is required to perform the kavadi attam dance.

For the non-Hindus who attend the Thaipusam festival, it is a time to witness a unique religious festival. This festival lasts the whole day.

One is allowed to take photographs of the vibrant kavadis and its devoted kavadi-bearers.

There are several accommodation options near Batu Caves as well as other beautiful attractions.