Malaysia rock temple. India with a “human” face: fantastic Batu Caves and Hindu temples in Malaysia. What to see in Malaysia
The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Hindu Temple is a unique religious building located in the city of Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia. Its patterned interiors in the shimmer of light resemble the changing mosaic of a kaleidoscope. He is considered the oldest temple city: the main building was built in 1922.
The modern history of the unusual Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman temple begins in 2008. As a result of the reconstruction, the façade and interior of the building were lined with glass mosaics. In total, 500 thousand pieces of multi-colored glass were required to decorate the temple - red, yellow, blue, green, blue and light blue. More than one million dollars received as donations from parishioners were spent on large-scale reconstruction. The work was completed in October 2009. And six months later, the temple, more reminiscent of a shining palace, was included in the Malaysian Book of Records as the first and only glass temple in the world.
Tourists are allowed to enter the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple from 13:00 to 17:00 every day except Mondays. Upon entering, you must take off your shoes and leave your shoes on a special area. The entrance is free.
In addition to the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple, Johor Bahru has other interesting attractions. Among them - Royal Palace-Sultan Abu Bakar Museum, mosques, Buddhist temples, Roman Catholic churches, zoos, amusement parks and museums under open air. Malaysian Legoland is located 25 kilometers southwest of Johor Bahru, in the town of Nusajaya.
Johor Bahru - popular tourist destination. Despite the large number of hotels and guest houses, on weekends and peak dates, accommodation here should be booked in advance. Because of large quantity For tourists arriving from Singapore, during festivals and holidays, finding a free room in hotels in the city can be problematic.
How to get there
Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple is located on Jalan Ungku Puan, in central Johor Bahru. The city is located 326 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. You can get there via the North-South toll highway. Travel time is three hours.
The closest airport to Johor Bahru is Senai Airport, located 24 kilometers northwest of the city. He accepts domestic flights from the cities of eastern and western Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuanton, Kuching, Sibu and Penang Island. You can get from Senai Airport from Johor Bahru by Causeway Link buses. Routes go directly to the train station and bus terminals. Travel time is about an hour. Bus route schedules and fares can be found on the official Causeway Link website.
You can get to Johor Bahru from the suburban area of Singapore Woodlands (Woodlands MRT station; travel time from the center is 45 minutes). The distance between them is 13 kilometers. Johor Bahru and Singapore are connected by the Strait of Johor, through which a dam and two bridges are built. It is prohibited to cross them on foot. During rush hours, it is best to use the less crowded Second Link Bridge.
The most convenient way to get from Singapore to Johor Bahru is by minibus or Causeway Link bus (routes CW1-CW6). They run several times a day. Crossing the border takes about an hour, not counting travel time: at checkpoints, passengers leave the bus with their belongings, undergo a check by migration services, and then board another bus and continue the journey. Be careful: you will have to drag things from bus to bus several times, so count on your strength. In Johor Bahru, buses from Singapore arrive and depart from Kotaraya II Bus Terminal.
Bus services connect Johor Bahru to other cities in Malaysia. Flights depart from the Larkin bus terminal, located five kilometers from the city center. To Kuala Lumpur buses and minibuses operate from dawn to midnight. Tickets can usually be purchased on the day of departure, excluding weekends and holidays. The bus terminal is open 24 hours a day.
Location
The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple is located in the city of Johor Bahru, in the Sultanate of Jahor, in the south, near the border with.
Malaysia is a hospitable country South-East Asia– annually receives many tourists from all over the world. This state, in addition to its natural resources, is also famous for its historical and archaeological sites. Malaysia is quite safe. Evenly heat holds on all year round. But when planning a visit to this country, you should take into account the rainy season. The western part is best visited from late November to February, and the eastern part from May to September.
A bunch of historical monuments, temples and mosques can be seen in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Lovers water activities And beach holiday awaits the Langkawi archipelago and the Malay part of the island of Borneo. The mountain resorts of Malaysia will delight both lovers of natural attractions and connoisseurs of modern entertainment in the form of casinos, attractions and night discos. In addition to traditional souvenirs - figurines and keychains - wooden, tin and copper products, silk and batik, seasonings, various equipment, as well as jewelry made of precious metals are brought from Malaysia.
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What to see in Malaysia?
The most interesting and Beautiful places, photographs and brief description.
The capital of Malaysia is famous for its many attractions. Architectural monuments, parks, Chinatown and a Malaysian village right in the city center. Kuala Lumpur has plenty to keep its guests entertained. The most popular of the capital's districts are the Central Historical Quarter and the shopping and entertainment Golden Triangle.
The building that is rightly called the symbol of Malaysia is the famous Petronas Towers. Since completion in 1998, these towers have been considered the tallest “twin” buildings in the world. Petronas Towers is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. During the excursion, tourists will learn about the history of construction, will be able to visit the observation deck located on the 86th floor, and also walk along the bridge between the towers.
One of the main shopping and entertainment areas of the capital. Bukit Bintang is also called the Golden Triangle because it is located at the border of three busy city streets. A variety of local shops, cafes and restaurants, hotels and nightclubs guarantee the area the attention of guests of the capital.
The Menara TV Tower can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. This building, the construction of which was completed in 1996, is also called the “Garden of Light” for its original lighting, which can be admired at night. Co observation deck The Menara TV Tower offers beautiful views of the city.
In 1963, the largest state historical and cultural museum in the country was founded in the capital of Malaysia. Externally, the building resembles a traditional Malaysian house, and the exhibition includes a collection of coins, bladed weapons, hats and clothing, jewelry and musical instruments.
In 1910, when Malaysia was still a British colony, a railway station was built in Kuala Lumpur, combining Indo-Saracenic and neo-Moorish styles of architecture. In the early 2000s, only suburban transportation, and after another reconstruction the Museum of Railway Transport was opened here.
A huge park complex, which includes many thematic natural formations, is located in the center of the capital. Here you can visit the butterfly park, which houses an entomological museum. The Orchid and Hibiscus Garden sells seedlings and flowering plant specimens on weekends. The local Bird Park hosts bird shows twice a day, and there is a Deer Park near the lake. The botanical garden's planetarium contains an entire floor where you can play with interactive exhibits.
The National Mosque Negara was built in 1965 and can accommodate up to eight thousand people. The idea of building such a national building, symbolizing the country's independence, arose in 1957. And it was brought to life by architects from England and Malaysia. Near the mosque there is a mausoleum where famous Malaysian political figures are buried.
The oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur, opened in 1909, is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Until 1965, Masjid Jameh was the main mosque of the city. This sophisticated Moorish-style structure is considered a popular landmark in Kuala Lumpur.
One of the most famous tourist sites in the capital is the royal palace Istana Negara. This building was erected by a Chinese millionaire in 1928 and was then called Big house. Since then, the palace has been both a magnificent Japanese residence and a modest officers' dining room. Currently, the Istana Negara palace is used for royal ceremonies.
A very original Snake Temple can be visited in Penang, Malaysia. The building was erected in 1850 and, as legend has it, since then snakes from all over the area have been crawling into the temple. Temple servants claim that the snakes are “neutralized” by the sacred smoke, but for additional safety, poison is collected from all reptiles in the building.
In 1897, the construction of the “Moorish” palace of Sultan Abdul-Samad was completed. In the center of the building there is a 43-meter clock tower, which makes the structure similar to the English Big Ben. The palace now houses the Ministry of Culture, and the area in front of the building is used for various events.
Near the town of Ipo at the beginning of the 20th century, local planter William Kelly Smith began building a mansion. But he was not destined to finish the work - after the First World War, most of the workers and Smith himself died of illness. There are legends that Kelly Castle has many secret rooms, underground tunnels and transitions. But in fact, there is only one tunnel, and it connects the mansion with a nearby Hindu temple.
Kek Lok Si Temple is considered one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Malaysia. Its construction took place at the end of the 19th century. Most often, tourists visit here the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the statue of the Chinese goddess Guan Yin, who is responsible for mercy. Not far from the temple there are several cafes and souvenir shops.
One of the oldest Hindu temples in the capital is located on the outskirts of Chinatown. The façade of the building is designed in the style of southern Indian palaces. Its central door tower, Raja Gopuram, which appeared in 1968, invariably attracts the attention of tourists with its colorful sculptures. Inside Sri Mahamariamman is kept a silver chariot which is used during the Thaipusam celebrations.
A small island in the South China Sea. Tourists consider it one of the most beautiful islands peace. Transparent water attracts beach lovers, and the local undersea world attracts lovers of diving and snorkeling. The village of Tekek, the capital of the island, is equipped with all the necessary tourist infrastructure. On the island of Tioman you can stay in a comfortable hotel or rent an individual chalet.
The Langkawi archipelago is located in the northwest of the country. Its white beaches are very beautiful and also very rich in magnesium, which makes them extremely useful in the treatment of bronchitis, osteochondrosis and rheumatism. In Langkawi you can visit snake and crocodile farms, relax on a black beach with volcanic sand, go to the aquarium or go diving.
One of the most popular attractions in Malaysia is the Batu Caves, located near Kuala Lumpur. The staircase leading to the caves is decorated with a huge statue of Murugan, and nearby there is a temple dedicated to this deity. Batu consists of 7 small and 3 large caves. There is an additional fee to enter the Art Gallery Cave, which features paintings and statues.
The mountain is the fourth highest in Southeast Asia. It is located on the territory of the same name national park in eastern Malaysia. On the last Saturday and Sunday of October, an original competition is held here - the world mountain race, the participants of which must climb to the 4095-meter peak as quickly as possible and also quickly descend.
The Malacca Peninsula is home to the famous national park Malaysia Taman Negara. This park is home to leopards, tapirs, rhinoceroses, Malaysian bears, deer, wild boars, tigers, elephants and more than 300 species of birds. There is a hotel where you can stay for a couple of days, and within the park there are several temporary shelters for those who want to spend the night in the tropics.
Gunung Mulu National Park, located in the east of the country, is famous for its grandiose caves, tropical forests and karst formations. The world's largest grotto, Sarawak, is worth a visit in the Gunung Mulu Caves. Also popular among tourists are the Deer Cave and the Cave of Clear Waters. You can get here by water or by helicopter.
In 1974, a national park was founded in the Malaysian part of Borneo, the main attraction of which is Niah Cave. Traces of Homo sapiens, who lived in the Stone Age, were discovered here. The age of Niah Cave is about 37-42 thousand years, its walls are decorated with rock paintings. Before starting to explore the cave, tourists must register and pay the entrance fee.
One of the largest Malaysian mountain resorts. Best time to visit these places lasts from March to September, when trekkers can easily climb along equipped paths to the peaks of the Cameron Highlands. Tourists often visit the local tea plantation, where they observe the production and processing of tea. Cameron Highlands is also home to strawberry and bee farms, where you can purchase fresh produce at low prices.
The lake is located on one of the islands of the Langkawi archipelago. It is very popular among tourists and local residents. This is a very beautiful body of water, which is surrounded by rocks and lush jungle. According to legend, childless couples who visit the Lake of the Pregnant Virgin will receive hope for a speedy replenishment of the family.
One of best places for walks and picnics, a mountain in the very center of the island near Georgetown. IN late XIX Century, a funicular was built to climb the mountain, and now you can get to the top of Penang Hill in just 12 minutes. At the top you can visit Botanical Garden, an owl museum, a mosque and a restaurant overlooking the island.
In the mountains northeast of Kuala Lumpur is a popular entertainment center"Genting Highlands". This amusement park is divided into outdoor and indoor areas, each of which consists of state-of-the-art attractions. And the closed area also includes a variety of entertainment using computer technology.
One of the most beautiful and unforgettable places Langkawi. The seven rapids of this rather powerful waterfall form seven clear lakes, in which you can swim if you wish. There is a fairly long staircase leading to the Seven Wells, the steps of which can be slippery in wet weather. The jungle surrounding the stairs is home to many monkeys, so you will have to watch your bags, backpacks and cameras very closely.
The two peaks of Mount Gunung are connected by the unusually beautiful Langkawi Sky Bridge, which seems to be floating in the air. To climb this 150-meter structure, you should use two cable cars, which takes about 20 minutes. The sky bridge offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains, lush tropics and the distant sea.
The Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Temple was founded in 1873 in the Chinatown area; in 1968 the temple was reconstructed and the Raja Gopuram tower was completed. It is the main temple for Hindus in Malaysia. Near Pasar Seni MRT Station, Jalan Tun H S Lee.
The temple is open to visitors: 6.00-12.00 and 16.00-21.00.
Chan See Shu Yuen Temple
Main Buddhist temple Malaysia opened in 1906 in the Chinatown area, it is designed in the ancient Chinese architectural style of Kwang-Tung, the walls are decorated with paintings depicting historical scenes.
Visiting hours: 8.00-16.00
Orthodox Church of St. Mary - St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church
Syrian Coptic Church St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church, the only Orthodox Church in Malaysia is located in the Brickfields area. 
Since Malaysia is a multinational and multi-religious country, different nationalities and religions coexist peacefully in it, there are many religious sites in the city - here are mosques, like the previously mentioned Masjid Jamek and Masjid Negara, and the Masjid Wilajah Persekutuan mosque, the two-story Masjid Usamah Bin Zaid in Wangsa Maju area, Yayasan Al-Bukhary near the Hang Tuah monorail station, As-Syakirin Mosque in KLCC Park.
And also there is the Chinese Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary, made in an unusual Chinese Gothic style, the Lutheran Evangelical Church, the Hindu temples of Sri Kandanswamy - Sri Kandaswamy on Jalan Scott and the Sri Lankan Hindu Temple - Sri Lankan, the Buddhist temple of Maha Vihara - Maha Vihara. Holy Rosary Church - Church of the Holy Rosary in Brickfields, built in 1903, St. John's Cathedral next to Masjid Jamek Station and Zion Lutheran Church - Zionist Lutheran Church opened in 1924.
Hindu temple complex Batu Cave - Batu Cave
The Batu Caves became known to the world in 1878, when they were discovered and described by the American naturalist W. Gornedey. They are located in the Gombak district, near the river from which Sungai Batu takes its name, at a distance of just over 10 kilometers from the center of Kuala Lumpur. Researchers suggest that the age of the limestone caves exceeds 400 million years. They consist of three large caves and several small ones. The most famous is the Temple Cave, which houses a Hindu temple. During the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, over a million pilgrims come here.
Perhaps Malaysia is one of the most “overlooked” countries in the world. Somehow it always turns out that I’m passing through there and always don’t have time to do anything. I first visited Malaysia in 2008 and since then I have been there five times, but at the same time I saw quite a bit: Kuala Lumpur, the new capital of the country, and just a little in the extreme north of the country near the border with Thailand. Meanwhile, Malaysia is undoubtedly one of the most interesting countries Asian with fantastic beautiful nature, excellent infrastructure and an abundance of historical monuments from different eras. Just three weeks ago I visited there again, flying from Singapore and then flying from Kuala Lumpur to Vienna; spent a little less in Kuala three days, for which I actually walked around the city, see and also visited the best zoo in Malaysia (to be honest - a terrible disappointment and shame on the local sultans) and fantastically beautiful caves and Hindu temples in Batu, which became my most vivid impression of what I saw in Malaysia. Inside the huge karst cave A magnificent Hindu temple was erected 15 km west of Kuala Lumpur, this is real surrealism! And although the place is quite “touristy”, I could not help but visit it and did not regret it one bit -
The path starts from the center of Kuala, do you see on the right side of the photo something resembling a palace with white turrets? This is the old railway station of Kuala Lumpur, from where trains depart not only to the Batu Caves, but also trains to Singapore and Thailand. Actually, main station is located a little further, 10 minutes walk from the old one. Well, the train that you see on the ground plan is a metro, in some places brought up -
We are “lucky”, the rain has not stopped since the morning -
And here is the train that will take you to the caves -
The drive takes about 25 minutes and here is the final station, which can be seen from afar thanks to the huge statue of the god Hanuman -
There is also another hefty statue, by the way one of the largest in the world, this is a statue of the Hindu god Murugan, the second son of Shiva, who is worshiped by most Indian Tamils. The statue is almost 43 meters tall and is one of the largest statues in the world by definition. You can't feel its size in the photo, but imagine a 16-story building? Introduced? This is how tall she is -
Anticipating the likely question of how the wind brought the Indian Tamils to Malaysia, I will explain that they were brought here by the British, who ruled both here and in India since the 18th century. They brought it following the principle of “divide and conquer”, because in the confrontation with the Malay sultans, the British needed to rely on someone. Hundreds of thousands of Indians were happy to go to the new colony to get out of poverty and hopelessness in their own country. And on the part of the British, it was very reasonable to create a kind of alien diaspora in a Muslim region disloyal to them, which, finding itself in a hostile and alien environment, would certainly be loyal to the British crown. Currently, Malaysians of Indian origin make up about 10% of Malaysia's 29 million population. By the way, according to the same scheme and for the same political and economic reasons, the British promoted the migration to Malaysia of ethnic Chinese from the Hong Kong-Guangzhou region and now ethnic Chinese in this country make up 27% of the population. Another interesting fact is that it is the Indians and Chinese who are the engine of the Malaysian economy, being the absolute majority in business and science. It is significant that, according to statistics, 70% of all Malaysians with higher education are ethnic Chinese and Indians, and this despite the fact that they are national minorities.
As one Chinese friend from Kuala Lumpur said, “Malaysia is a wonderful country, if only we could remove from it all the Malays whose heads are filled with radical Islam...”. This same person said that the Malaysian authorities oppress national minorities and do not allow the Chinese and Indians into government bodies, and that to this day the Malaysian authorities, as a sign of support for the Palestinians, prohibit their citizens from visiting Israel, this is written even in their foreign passports -
Considering the fact that almost 40% of the Malaysian population are Indians and Chinese, and almost half of both are also Christians by faith, such government jokes are incomprehensible and alien to them. Why on earth would some man with a turban on his head (let’s call him the President of Malaysia) and a callus on his forehead from worshiping Allah prohibit me from going to Holy Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre? I had an interesting conversation with a man. Not everything is so simple in this country warm sea and beautiful jungle.
p.s. By the way, just a year ago, the Malaysian government, under pressure from the United States and under the threat of economic sanctions, agreed to allow fellow citizens of the Christian faith to visit Israel without being imprisoned for it, as was the case just a few years ago. A muddy story, for those interested, read the link.
But we will return to the Batu Caves -
Right in front of the caves there is one of the temples, there are six temples in total. The ceremony was just taking place there -
All these temples are quite new, there is no smell of antiquity here; Hindus took a fancy to the caves only in 1890, and temples appeared here even later, in the 20s of the last century -
Then we move up the rather tedious stairs built in 1920 -
Cave entrance -
Amazing, isn't it?
A kind of corner of India, and a pleasant corner, clean, without dirt and crowds of beggars. Forgive me, but they will continue to haunt me in nightmares for a long time -
No, well, it’s absolutely impossible without sitting on the asphalt and eating with dirty hands straight from the bottom -
Pigeons steal food from the rooster -
This is simply fantastic! I had never seen anything like this before, although I looked at a lot of caves, from Carlsbad in New Mexico to Wieliczka in Poland and ending with Škocan in Slovenia. Yes, I almost forgot, little known in eastern Romania -
And then we decided to go to the zoo, which tourists praised so much on the Internet; the way there was by taxi -
The Kuala Lumpur Zoo turned out to be a severe disappointment, but I’ll tell you about it next time -
Listen, in Malaysia they started putting some stickers on entry? Previously they just put a stamp, but now it’s like this -
Kek Lok Si is a Buddhist temple in Penang that is one of the most famous temples on the island. It is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia and also important center pilgrimages for Buddhists from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and other countries in Southeast Asia. This entire complex of temples was built between 1890 and 1930. The main attraction in the complex is the astounding seven-story Rama VI Pagoda (Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas) with 10,000 alabaster and bronze Buddha statues and a 36.57-meter-tall bronze statue of Kuan Yin.
When visiting Malaysia's most popular cities, try to take some time to explore this outstanding attraction. Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism and traditional Chinese rituals merge into a harmonious whole, both in the architecture of the temple and in the artistic works, as well as in the daily activities of the devotees. Literally, the name Kek Lok Si translates as “Heavenly Temple”, “Temple pure land", "Temple of Supreme Bliss", and "Temple of Paradise".
History of Kek Lok Si
Construction of the temple began in 1890 and was completed in 1905. It was inspired by Beu Lin, the head monk of the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy on Pitt Street in 1887. Beu chose a spiritual site overlooking the sea on the hills of Ayer Itam and became the first abbot of the temple. The construction of the temple complex was sponsored by five leading Chinese business people Penang, known as the "Hakka Tycoons". The main hall, which was completed first, housed the Guanyin shrine. There are statues of female goddesses here - the Queen of Heaven, the Goddess of the Earth and the Goddess of Fertility. People compared this shrine to Western Amitabha and started calling it "Kek Lok Si". There are also many other temple chambers with majestic statues, including gilded Buddhas.
The Chinese consul in Penang reported the greatness of the temple to the Qing government. Following this, the Guangxu Emperor invited Beu Ling to Beijing in 1904 and bestowed upon him 70,000 volumes on the "psalms and other sacred works of Buddhism" and also issued an edict appointing him "Chief Priest of Penang". Upon the abbot's return to Penang, a royal procession was organized to the temple complex. Prominent Chinese dignitaries of Penang, in their royal Mandarin attire, accompanied the abbot in this procession. In 1930, the seven-story main pagoda of Kek Lok Si Temple, the 30-meter-high Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, was completed. It combines a Chinese octagonal base with a Thai design and a Burmese spiral dome. Kek Lok Si represents the syncretism of ethnic and religious diversity in the country. There is a large Buddha statue here, gifted by King Bhumibol of Thailand. King Rama VI of Thailand laid the foundation for the pagoda.
In 2002, the 302-meter bronze statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, was completed and opened to the public. It replaced the previous white plaster statue, which was damaged due to a fire several years earlier. The bronze statue is located on the hillside above the pagoda. The statue is complemented by a three-story, 60.9-meter-tall covered pavilion with 16 bronze columns, which was completed in 2009. This is the most tall statue Guanyin in the world. One hundred statues of the goddess Kuan Yin, each 2 meters high, are installed around the main statue of the goddess. However, its height was limited to avoid the shadow falling on the Penang State Mosque. In this temple there is also temple complex there is a large hydraulic bell that rings at frequent intervals. The temple is rich in wood and stone carvings. Each deity has a cushion in front of it, impressive scrolls and candles set in very attractive pendant lights.