MPU Group Assignment 1 - About Site Visit of Batu Caves

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MPU3123: TAMADUN ISLAM DAN TAMADUN ASIA (TITAS)
HISTORICAL SITE VISIT (BATU CAVES)
GROUP MEMBERS:
Names ID No.
Kok Ka Shing 0323553
Kyla Ellana Nazrin Diego 0322409
Kok Xuan Ying 0322929
Koo Jian Xiang 0322975
Lau Hui Ming 0323827
Le Jia Ling 0322532
Lee Fong Yen 0321976
Lee Kylie 0326655
Lee Lin Hui 0322797
Lee Xin Ying 0322432
LECTURER:Ms Fadhilah Raihan Lokman
SUBMISSION DATE:8 May 2016

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Acknowledgement
The success and final outcome of this assignment required a lot of guidance and assistance
from many people and us extremely fortunate to have got this all along the completion of our
assignment work. Whatever we have done is only due to such guidance and assistance and
we would not forget to thank them. This assignment cannot be completed without the effort
and co-operation from our group members, Ka Shing (leader), Xuan Ying, Jian Xiang, Kyla,
Hui Ming, Jia Ling, Fong Yen, Kylie, Lin Hui and Xin Ying. We also sincerely thank to our
lecturer, Ms Puteh Noraihan and Ms Fadhilah Raihan for their guidance in finishing this
assignment and also for teaching us in this course.

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Table of Content
No. Title
Page
Number
1. Introduction 4
2. Objectives to Study 5
3.
Research Findings
- Material Used
- Style of Art
- Architecture
6-7
4. Travel Journal 8-14
5. Conclusion 15
6.
Appendixes
- Photos
- References
16-24

4. 4
Introduction
Batu Caves is an iconic and popular tourist attraction in Selangor. It is one of
Malaysia’s national treasures and holiest Hindu site, this complex of giant limestone caves,
just 13km north of KL, houses temples that have been drawing pilgrims for more than 120
years. In 1891, ten years after the caves were noticed by American explorer William
Hornaby, local Indian dignitaries convinced the British administration that the caves were
ideal places in which to worship. Soon ever-increasing numbers of devotees were visiting
the caves to pray at the shrine established here to Lord Murugan, also known as Lord
Subramaniam. Later the temple complex was expanded to include a shrine to the elephant-
headed deity Ganesh.
There are 4 main attractions at Batu Caves which is a limestone hill riddled with
caves. These attractions are Temple Cave (Cathedral Cave), Dark Cave, Cave Villa and
Ramayana Cave. Temple Cave is the biggest cave, it has a 100m high ceiling and features
many ornate Hindu shrines. To reach the cave, visitors have to climb a steep flight of 272
steps. Below the Temple Cave is the Dark Cave, with its amazing rock formations and a
number of animals species found nowhere else. The large statue of the Hindu God at the
entrance also is one of the attractions in Batu Cave, besides the steep 272 climb up its steps
to finally view the stunning skyline of the city centre. There are also monkeys frolicing around
the caves, and it is a popular spot for rock climbing enthusiasts. Paintings and scenes of
Hindu Gods can also be seen in the Ramayana Cave.
The main event at Batu caves every year is Thaipusam (January or early February),
where up to 1 million people which consist of devotees and tourists visit Batu caves during
the three-day celebration. Many of the devotees carry kavadis, large frameworks with
various metal skewers and hooks, which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and tongue.
Lord Murugan Statue 272 steps entrance

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Objective of Study
Objective study to visit Batu Caves:
1. Able to recall the development of Eastern human civilizations in the past as well as
present.
2. Able to describe the historical development of human civilization.
3. Able to develop skills of data gathering.
4. To understand the current existing social, political, religious and economic conditions
of the people.
5. Able to explain the present, to analyse the architecture style of Batu Caves.

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Research Findings
1. Batu Caves
Batu Caves is the sacred place for the Hindus all around the world. It is a 100-year-old
temple that houses several Hindu shrines and features idols paintings and statues namely,
the Lord Murugan, Lord Hanuman, Lord Rama and their noble devotees. In the past, some
of the cave entrances were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people, a tribe of
Orang Asli.
2. Materials used
 The interior of Batu Caves are limestone formation and aged around 400 million
years old.
 The steps up to the Temple Cave are composed of 272 concrete steps which
replaced the old wooden steps.
 The great statue of Lord Murugan that stood at the religious site is built with 1550
cubic metres of concrete, 250 tonnes of steel bars and 300 litres of gold paint. This
statue cost 24 million rupees.
3. Measurements
 Batu Caves consist of three main caves and a number of smaller ones with a length
of 400 metres and 100 metres high. The Cathedral Cave also known as the Temple
Cave is the largest and most popular cavern in Batu Caves.
 The great statue of Lord Murugan is 42.7 metres tall whereas the statue of Lord
Hanuman which is located beside the cave is 15 metres tall.

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4. Style of art / Architecture
The style of art or architecture of Batu Caves is Dravidian architecture. Dravidian
architecture was an architectural idiom that emerged in the Southern part of the Indian
subcontinent or South India. It consists primarily of temples with pyramid shaped towers and
are constructed of sandstone, soapstone or granite. Mentioned as one of three styles of
temple building in the ancient book Vastu shastra, the majority of the existing structures are
located in the Southern Indian states of Andhra pradesh,Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and
Telangana. Various kingdoms and empires such as the Cholas, the Chera, the Kakatiyas,
the Pandyas, the Pallavas, the Gangas, the Rashtrakutas, the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, and
Vijayanagara Empire among others have made substantial contribution to the evolution of
Dravidian architecture. This styled architecture can also be found in parts of North India (Teli
ka Mandir Gwalior, Bhitargaon Baitala Deula, Bhubaneshwar), Northeastern and central Sri
Lanka, Maldives, and various parts of Southeast Asia. Angkor Wat in Cambodia and
Prambanan in Indonesia were built based on Dravida architecture
5. Thaipusam in Batu Caves
Thaipusam is a celebration for the son of Shiva (Subramaniam) and the becoming "one"
of Pusan and the Brihaspati stars. Batu Caves is the focal point of this annual Hindu festival.
It attracts thousands of devotees and visitors and in the past the festival has attracted more
than one million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in the world. The entire
celebration commences colorfully and lasts for a total of eight hours.
As a form of penance or sacrifice, many of them carry ‘kavadis’ (literally, "burden,"
such as a pitcher or jug) that represents a miniature shrine to the Lord Murugan. These are
large, brightly decorated (with flowers and peacock feathers) frameworks, usually
combined with various metal hooks and skewers which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks
and tongue. By doing this penance they expect some favors from their Gods.

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Travel Journal
Ka Shing
Our group has decided that on the 17th
of April which was a Sunday, that we would
visit Batu Caves for our group site visit in order to complete our MPU assignment that was
given to us by our lecturer. We decided to meet in campus around 11A.M as the only drives
were me and Leo and we would divide ourselves up evenly into the 2 cars. We left campus
around 11.30 A.M and the journey to Batu Caves took around 30-40 minutes. After we have
arrived at the site we went on to park our cars and started exploring the area. It is not my
first time visiting Batu Caves but everything still looks so beautiful every time I visit the place.
After taking a few photos of the place we decided to take our group picture in front of the
marvelous Lord Murugan Statue and the flight of stairs up to the Temple Cave. After that we
climbed up the 272 steps and entered the Temple cave to take more pictures and also a little
more exploring. Before going back down after we explored the Temple Cave, we just stood
at the front of the cave entrance as there was a breath-taking view of Kuala Lumpur and also
a small part of Selayang from up there. Our trip there was not a long one as it only took us
less than 2 hours to explore and take pictures of the entire place but we had a fun time
visiting Batu Caves. Lastly, in order to conclude our trip, we had lunch as a group before
departing back to campus where everyone parted ways from there.
Kyla Diego
My group has chosen Batu Caves for this assignment and we had arranged our time
for the site visit on a Sunday morning, April 17th, 2016. We drove two cars to Batu Caves
with drivers named, Ka Shing and Jian Xiang and I sat in Ka Shing’s car. Initially, we were
supposed to meet in campus at 11 a.m. But unfortunately, I woke up late so instead he and
the other two group members picked me up from my house.
Our journey to Batu Caves was not longer than 30 minutes and we reached safely to
the destination in the afternoon.
Before we started with our tour, we had a brief meeting and everyone had to do their
part, mostly we took quite amount of photos. The place was crowded with tourists and locals
and few of them were climbing the 272 steps of slightly steep stairway up to the sacred
temple. It was quite a challenge for me to climb those stairs because, first, it was too high
and I am afraid of heights and second, because it was too high and climbing those stairs
were really tiring.

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The interior of the Batu Caves were really fascinating. Most people were also
fascinated by the interior and took photos. Moreover, they also took photos of monkeys and
flocks of pigeons inside too. Not to mention, people doing their prayers were also seen
inside.
After everything, we all climbed down, took a group photo and dismissed.
Xuan Ying
Randomly grouped together and not knowing each other well were the starting point
of our visit to Batu Caves. As a team, we travelled to the site by car and as soon as we
stepped on Batu Caves’ ground, we were fascinated by the great statue of Lord Murugan (it
was the tallest Lord Murugan’s statue ever built!). We started off by taking a group photos
and soon after we began the arduous climbing up to the top of the caves, it was my first
experience being in the cave and it felt mysteriously calming (if only we were not attacked by
the monkeys in the cave). As the cave were naturally formed, it was amusing for me to
realise how the sunlight shone and brighten up the whole chamber. The statues and
paintings were highly detailed and in my opinion, it reflects the dedication of the devotees
towards Lord Murugan. Our short but informative trip ended with a quick Mc Donald’s Lunch
before travelling back to campus. Undeniably, it was a great opportunity for us to study on
Batu Caves and to be a little bit closer than when we first met each other.
Jian Xiang
On the 17th of April, we went to visit Batu Cave for our MPU site visit project. After
several discussions with group mates, we gathered up ourselves around 10am and head
over to Batu Cave. Ka Shing and I were both driving cars and fetching our group mates
separately. The journey took us around 40 minutes as there were minor traffic issue. After
we have parked our car, we went down to the gates below the cave. The scene was
marvellous. This was my second time visiting Batu Cave. We took group photos at the area
to mark our assemble on the site. After that, we went up to the cave for further exploration.
The journey up to the cave took us around 15 mins as there were a lot of steps. It’s
exhausting to climb up but it was a pleasant experience because around the top I can view
the skyline of Kuala Lumpur. We took awhile to enjoy the scenery of limestone inside the
cave. We took photos and we eventually have some fun time of our own. The whole visiting
tour to Batu Caves took us not more than 2 hours. It was short but filled with great
experience. Finally, we headed to McDonald’s nearby Batu Cave for lunch and went back to
campus after that.

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Hui Ming
Our group decided to visit Batu caves. On that day, I reached lakeside campus at 11
am. Our group was organized on arranging the schedule. In addition, they are thoughtful for
those who don't have the transport to there because they were willing to fetch us along to
there.
About one hour, we reached the destination. This is not my first time visiting Batu
Caves. There were a lot of visitors there. When all the members were there, we took a group
photo. We went surrounding to investigate the design of the buildings. I was appreciated for
the amazing creation of Batu caves because it combines and interact to the nature. It has
become one of the most famous cave landmarks of Malaysia. It also act as iconic and
popular tourism attraction in Selangor.
After having lunch with my group members, we backed to campus. I really thanked to
Ka Shing and Jian Xiang who fetched us back safely.
Jia Ling
11.00AM
In the morning, all of us gathered at Taylor’s Lakeside campus and we depart to Batu Caves
at 11am sharp. We use 2 cars and each car have 5 person to go Batu Cave.
11.45AM
We reached Batu Caves at 11.45am, we started our research based on the site. The
difficulty is during the visit all are crowded by people and cars so we should park outside and
go the cave by walking. Before I when there, I already had do some research based on the
internet. We took pictures around Batu Caves and observe the information at there. We also
climb a steep flight of 272 steps to reach that entrance of that hill.
12.30AM
We finished our research and our group photos on site at 12.30am. We all are very
exhausted when we climb down but it was a wonderful experience for me because this is my
first time I climb up to the hill and know other religious and their culture as well.
1.00pm
We enjoy our lunch at McDonald which nearby Batu Caves before we back to Taylor’s. All of
us we gain lots of fun and have a wonderful experience throughout the journey.

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Fong Yen
My group has chosen Batu Caves as the site for this assignment. We had conducted
the site visit on the 17th
of April. All group members have gathered at Taylor’s University at
11 a.m sharp. We drove two cars up to Batu Caves. The driver that day was Jian Xiang and
Ka Shing. I sat in Jian Xiang’s car, together with three of the other group mates.
We departed around 11.40 and it was only a half an hour drive to Batu Caves from
our campus. We reached our site at around 12.20 in the afternoon. So, before we started our
tour, we had a brief meeting on delegation of tasks. Every group member had to do their
part, mostly taking photos.
Traffic was congested at Batu Caves as it was crowded with tourists and locals.
Many activities can be seen there such as Hindus praying at the temple, people climbing the
272 stairs up the cave, tourists taking photos and many more. It was definitely a challenge to
make it up to the top. The main attraction of the site was the tall and large Lord Murugan
statue at the base of the cave. Many people were seen standing in front of the statue, trying
to get a pretty shot of the whole place. Besides that, photo taking session with the pigeons is
also a must do when visiting Batu Caves. Not sure why, but majority were doing so.
The Batu Caves temple consists of three main caves and few smaller ones. The
biggest among all would be the Cathedral Cave, which visitors have to climb 272 steps up.
We were impressed by the beautiful statues and decorations on the roof. While at the base,
the Art Gallery and Museum Cave are visited by visitors to understand more on stories
related to the Hindu god. It was interesting to hear about histories related to the Hindu deity
and not only that, we even got to see paintings there.
After walking around the area, and taking enough photos of the surroundings, finally
came to the last agenda of the site visit, which was taking a group photo. With the help of a
visitor there, we managed to take a nice decent photo in front of the Lord Murugan statue,
with the stairs and caves as the background.
Around 3 pm, we then headed back to the campus, feeling tired and exhausted.
Thanks to Jian Xiang and Ka Shing, who took the initiative to drive us to and back from Batu
Caves. Before heading back, we took our lunch together and arrived at the campus around
4pm.

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Through this assignment, I have learnt how are buildings or sites are related to
civilization and the histories of Batu Caves as well as the Hindu deities. Not only that, I have
now gain a deeper knowledge about the definition of civilization, especially The Indian
Civilization and now able to relate how similar it was to civilization back in those days. Most
important of all, being able to make new friends from other courses and working together in
completing this assignment.
Picture on the left was taken at the entrance of Batu Caves while the picture on the right was
taken at the base of Batu Caves where pigeons were fed and taken photo with.
Our group photo.
From the left: Lin Hui, Hui MIng, Xin Ying, Jian Xiang, Ka Shing, Ellana, Jia Ling, Kylie, Fong Yen
(me) and lastly Xuan Ying.

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Lee Kylie
As my team has chosen Batu Caves to be our historical site, so that is where we
went to conduct further research.
Driving took about 40 minutes from my house. Seeing Batu Caves up close was
worth it in spite of the long journey. We took several pictures and immersed ourselves in the
hustle and bustle of the street market within the compound of Malaysia’s largest and most
popular shrine.
The visit was highly productive. We got to meet up to thoroughly discuss and
consolidate our findings. Apart from the general facts, we actually learned several interesting
facts. One of them is that all materials were bought from Thailand!
Discussions aside, we actually went all the way up to the caves. Climbing 272 steps
was definitely a challenge, if not an immensely enlightening experience. Initially, we were a
little apprehensive to climb up as the weather was fairly hot and we were afraid that one of
us might get a heatstroke. We decided that since we were already there, we might as well
seize the opportunity. The climb took us about 15 minutes. Along the stairs were resting
points that provided an amazing view of the KL skyline. We took breaks periodically to
savour the view. At the top of the stairs rests the Temple Cave, with an impressive statue of
the main deity (Sri Murugan) sitting within the space of the cave. We stayed there for about
20 minutes, taking pictures and observing our surroundings, before heading down and
eventually going home.
Personally, the trip had been a wonderful learning experience. Although in the past I
had visited this site, the experience was not as in-depth as this one. Being in the presence of
such a monumental structure was definitely incomparable to merely seeing it online. I can
clearly understand why tourists are willing to travel from faraway places just to visit Batu
Caves.
Being an architecture student, this project is the perfect chance for me to explore
local landmarks. I got to learn an architectural style that I have never heard before, that is
Dravidian architecture. The Dravidian style is heavily portrayed through Batu Caves. Further
online research has shed light on other Indian historical landmarks that portray Dravidian
architecture.

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Therefore, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to embark on this educational
journey. Gaining knowledge is one thing, but cultivating the value of teamwork and friendship
is something I adhered to throughout the project. All in all, it has been a very holistic learning
experience.
Lin Hui
On 17th
April 2016, our group meets up on the campus at 11.00am. There were only
9 members gathered up in the campus as one of our members went to Batu Caves straight.
At 11.20am, we departed the campus to Batu Caves. I boarded onto Leo’s car to Batu
Caves with other three members. It took about 25 minutes to reach the Batu Caves from
campus. Then, we waited half an hour for all members arrived. While waiting for other
members, we took some photos and selfie for references. When all members arrived, we
took a group photo at the square and discussed for group work. After that, we decided to
climb up to visit the cave as half of our group members had never visited before. The journey
took about 15 to 20 minutes. It was quite challenging for me as the stairs are tilt and high. I
was impressed by the statues and painting on the wall and glad to hear histories that related
to the Hindu deity. Before dismiss, we had a short break at McDonald’s restaurant nearby
the Batu Caves before went back to the campus. Thanks a lot to Jian Xiang and Ka Shing,
who drove us to and back from Batu Caves.
Xing Ying
My group decided to go to visit Batu Caves on 14th
April 2016. In the morning of that
day, we met at campus and start our journey after everyone reached at 11.30am. We
separated into two cars. After we reached, I took some pictures around Batu Caves and also
the gorgeous statue of Lord Murugan. Besides that, I saw many visitors on that day which
climbed up to the top of the cave. This is my first time visiting this awesome place, I find the
architecture of the religious buildings in Batu Caves very interesting and I also learned about
the Indian cultural. In this hot day, I also saw there were many visitors buying coconut water
to relieve themselves from the heat.
After we took the group photo, we decided to climb up the flight of stairs to enter the
cave. There were many long tailed-macaque monkeys on the way up the stairs. There were
also a lot of visitors climbed up the stairs to visit the caves. At the base of the hill there are
two cave temples, Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, both of which are full of Hindu
statues and paintings. We took some pictures of the caves. After we finished the task, we
went to have our lunch and went back to campus. I appreciate Ka Shing and Leo whom both
fetched us to Batu Caves and took us home safety.

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CONCLUSION
In this assignment, students were randomly divided into groups of ten students. This has
encouraged a necessary interaction between students of different courses, by getting to
know more friends and engaging with different people.
The environment at Batu Caves was lively and filled with a lot of people. The site was
ethically engaged as people in the communities were polite. Our investigation included both
inside and outside of Batu Caves. In comparison with the civilized norm of today, there is not
that much difference between both societies, as both are devoted to their religions. They
worship their Gods respectively anywhere, although Batu Caves was more of a central
gathering for this peace worthy outcome. It is known as one of the most popular Hindu
shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of
Thaipusam in Malaysia.
As a group assignment, this has encouraged us to learn how to work with people
outside our circle of friends, including those who have different backgrounds and
experiences. At times, when there were disagreements, we learnt how to tolerate with each
other and tried discussing for the best solution.
Besides that, this assignment has also helped enhance team work between group
members, motivating each other and helping out one another when there were difficulties.
This assignment also helps improve leadership qualities and teamwork abilities in every
group member.
Even though there were difficulties in setting a meeting where everyone was able to
show up, we compromised with each other’s time and tolerate with each other in order to
complete this assignment. Therefore, we have learnt the importance of communication
between group members when a group assignment is concerned.

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APPENDICES
Portrait view of Batu Caves.

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Landscape view of Batu Caves.
A small souvenir shop & Cave Villa Art Gallery.

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A hawker store selling fresh flower necklaces.
Stalls selling Indian confectionery and snacks to customers.

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A small shrine next to the 272 flight of stairs.
A garden at the base of Batu Caves.

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View from the Temple Cave entrance.
A priest waits for worshipers to pay their respects at the shrine near the cave entrance.

21. 21
Interior of Batu Caves.
A priest casually standing while looking at the camera.

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A priest having a conversation with a woman.
A priest blessing a worshiper.

23. 23
The main temple of Murugan inside the Temple Cave.
The entrance shrine in Batu Caves.

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Reference
 Batu caves Sri Subramaniar Swamy Devasthanam. (2002, May ). Retrieved from
http://http://murugan.org/temples/batumalai.htm
 Batu caves | tourism Malaysia. Retrieved May 1, 2016, from
http://www.malaysia.travel/en/my/places/states-of-malaysia/selangor/batu-caves
 Direct, A. W. (2016). Batu caves in Kuala Lumpur - Kuala Lumpur attractions.
Retrieved from http://http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/attractions/batu-caves.htm#
 Manivanan, M. (1996). History of Batu caves. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from
http://mmadventure.com/kuala-lumpur-attractions/batu-caves.htm
 malaysian-explorer. Batu caves. Retrieved April 23, 2016, from
http://www.malaysian-explorer.com/batuCaves.html
 Photo, & Aron, S. (2009). Batu caves - temple in Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved April 26,
2016, from http://www.thousandwonders.net/Batu+Caves
 Rodgers, G. (2016, January 19). The Batu caves in Malaysia A beautiful attraction
just minutes from Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from Travel,
 says, C. peter. (2015). The Batu caves travel attractions, facts & history -. Retrieved
from http://http://famouswonders.com/the-batu-caves/
 van Wijnen, B. (2001). Batu caves. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from
http://www.malaysiasite.nl/batucaveseng.htm