Tags
Aldous Huxley, Asia, Batu Caves, Bhagavad Gita, Bodhi Tree, Christopher Isherwood, Jacob Zeitlin, Kuala Lumpur, Lord Hanuman, Lord Murugan, Mahabharata, Malaysia, Ramayana, Thaipusam Festival, West Hollywood
The imposing Lord Murugan at the Batu Caves.
Cheyon, Senthil, Velan, Kumaran, Svaminatha, Saravanan, Arumugam or Shanumuga, Dandapani, Guruguha, Subrahmanya, Karitikeya, Skanda. Let’s just admit that Lord Murugan, the son of Shiva and the Commander of the Gods and Victory, goes by a lot of names throughout India, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Phillipines, Indonesia, Singapore, the surfing island of Réunion and Malaysia.
With the inspiration of businessman K. Thamboosamy Pillai, the Batu Caves outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia became identified with Lord Murugan in the early 1890s. Since 1892 the Thaipusam Festival in early January/February is celebrated here with endless throngs of worshippers crowding the 272 steps up to the top of the caves. The imposing statue of Lord Murugan was erected in 2006 and is the largest Hindu shrine outside of India.
Climbing the 272 steps? Unforgettable.
Sound Travels with Jeff von der Schmidt 