Batu Caves and Thaipusam

Steps leading to the cave's entrance

My wife,
dressed WAY too provocatively to go up the steps.

One thing I hear over and over here is that there are a lot of public holidays. With so many religions, plus state holidays, it can be a bit over the top. Most companies, Google included, will have some set days off and then floating days off so people can celebrate the holidays that they find most important.















Today is Thaipusam. ABC.com tells us that "according to Hindu mythology, Thaipusam officially commemorates the day when the goddess Pavarthi gave her son Lord Murugan a lance to kills evil demons." If you want the specifics, Google it. I'm just here to provide color. 


THE major destination to celebrate are the Batu Caves, just outside of Kuala Lumpur. We grabbed an Uber last weekend and where there in 20 minutes or so. This place is incredible. The pictures don't do it justice. 

We were told that the day of the festival was so mobbed with people that you could lose your child and get overwhelmed. So we opted for Thaipusam-light. 


Even last weekend, people were going through rituals that I consider pretty bizarre. Men, women and children were getting their heads shaved with straight razor and heads dowsed in some sort of yellow powder, giving them a quite exotic look. 

Anya and her local get up.
They wouldn't let her walk the stairs
with the skirt she was wearing.

More exotic is the aspect of ritual where you go through agony to show your devotion. See those oranges hanging on the guy's back? They are attached with hooks put through the flesh. They dip the hooks in lime juice to make sure it's really not a good time. 


Rods are pierced through the cheeks as well. One young woman was being rolled UP the stairs by her family. Covered in grime and mud and undoubtedly bruised, I'm told this is what you do if you are single and looking for a mate. I might have my facts wrong, but I can say that it was not super duper attractive to me. To each their own, right? 




Despite, or because of, the theatrics, the place had a serene and spiritual feel. You could sense that it was a special place. We were hungry and there was a long line of people getting food at a tent. We decided it must be worth it, so Anya waiting in line for 15 minutes or so. When she got her plate of delicious vegetarian food, they would not accept Anya's money. "This is for everyone, this is charity," they said. Pretty cool.