400 million years later, Batu Caves temple seeks escalator upgrade

The ancient Hindu cave complex at Batu is looking to ease the path to enlightenment with an escalator. Photo / Laurentiu Morariu, Unsplash

The caretakers of an historic Hindu cave temple in Malaysia are planning an escalator to ease the path to enlightenment for its almost one million annual pilgrims.

The Batu Caves in Malaysai’s Gombak region is famous for its 272 brightly coloured steps, a unique access route taken by worshippers and tourists visiting the cave complex. For more than a century, this “stairway to heaven” has been the focus of an annual Thaipusam festival. At the end of January and early February, the site on the northern edge of Kuala Lumpur is flooded with visitors.

The impressive 40-metre statue of the deity Murugan - the second tallest in Asia - welcomes explorers who climb the staircase. At the top is a 400-million-year-old cave network, which has provided a place for shelter and worship since prehistory.

But now, pilgrims want an escalator.

The Batu Caves' 272 rainbow-coloured steps are a draw for worshipers and instagrammers alike. Photo / Lu Zee, Unsplash

The temple caretakers have signalled it is time that issues are addressed to make the site “more accessible”.

Last week, committee chairman R Nadarajah said that work would begin as soon as possible.

“We hope the government will assist us since this [escalator] will allow the disabled and elderly who are unable to climb the steps to reach the main temple,” he said.

Construction was slated for after this year’s Thaipusam festival, on January 25, and would be part of other planned construction work. The temple is constructing a 35 million Malaysian Ringgit ($12.3m) “multipurpose hall” near the temple complex.

Nadarajah said that they hoped the escalator works could be combined with this construction work, but did not have costings.

The Batu Caves and their famous rainbow stairs are not afraid of change - or taking a step in a new direction.

The stairs got their distinctive makeover as recently as 2018, when they were painted to attract more visitors to the site.

Although popular with instagrammers, the Malaysian Heritage Board took exception, saying that the painting was done before plans were approved.

The formal temple complex dedicated to Murugan is only 140 years old, although the cave complex has a history spanning millennia.