Tallest Murugan statue in Malaysia

 

 

Click on any of the below pictures to see the larger view or to save them to your computer..  Today , we will be visiting the Sri Murugan Temple " Batu Caves " in Penang , Malaysia.  Located at the Sri Subramanian Temple at the foot of Batu Caves,Lord Murugan statue is the tallest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia and ofcourse another master craft by sculptors from India  The statue is 42.7meters.As you approach Batu Caves you will see this towering statue of Lord Murugan, which dominates the scene from a kilometer away.  Malaysian Hindus regard Lord Murugan as a manifestation of valor, beauty, youthfulness, vitality, masculinity and happiness.  In Hinduism, Karttikeya (also Murugan, Subramaniam, Skanda) is either a son of Agni and Svaha or Ganga, or Shiva and Parvati. This confusion arises from an interesting myth.  Shiva decided to create a magical spark, which would give birth to a deity. This spark was so bright and luminous that only Agni, god of Fire, could carry it. Agni deposited the spark, according to Shiva's directions, in the Ganga river. Ganga then nourished the spark, causing a living being, Karttikeya, to spring from it. Karttikeya is the god of masculinity, war and leader of the armies of the gods.The festival of Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide, commemorates both Karttikeya's birthday and the day he was given a vel (lance) by his mother Parvati in order to vanquish the evil demon Soorapadam. In art, he is depicted as having six heads, twelve arms and twelve legs. He rides a peacock and wields a bow and arrow in battle.  Batu Caves is one of Malaysia's most famous tourist destinations especially for the colourful Thaipusam festival.  This attracts up to 800,000 devotees and spectators; the highlight is seeing devotees in a trance carry kavadi, a metal frame attached to the body. The procession of the jewelled chariot containing the statue of Lord Murugan would start early in the morning, as early as 4.00 am on the eve of Thaipusam.  Devotees would walk from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and throw coconuts on the ground beside the chariot (the walk take approximately 8 hours to reach Batu Caves). Penitents then atone for their sins and commemorate the giving of the vel by dragging kavadis ("burdens") up the 272 steps to the cave and depositing them at the feet of the deity. Family and friends will guide the kavadi bearers up the 272 steps of Batu Caves to go to the Temple Cave, some using drum beats and flutes as a driving rhythm while others hear the shouts of ‘vel, vel, vetri vel’.  I bet none of you have seen the above picture before.Many of the devotees carry kavadis, large frameworks with various metal skewers and hooks, which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and tongue. Priests attend to the kavadi bearers. Consecrated ash is sprinkled over the hooks and skewers piercing the devotees flesh before they are removed. No blood is shed during the piercing and removal. In 2007, the festival attracted more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in history.  My heartfelt pranams to Lord Hanuman who teaches us the lesson of devotion and love for God.  Rising almost 100m above the ground, Batu Caves actually consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as the Temple Cave, has a 100m-high ceiling, and features ornate Hindu shrines.  Below the Temple Cave is the Dark Cave, with its amazing rock formations and a number of animals found nowhere else.  Stalactites jutting from the cave's ceiling and stalagmites rising from the floor form intricate formations such as cave curtains, flow stones, cave pearls and scallops which took thousands of years to form.  The routes are scattered all around the side of Batu Caves, which is made up of limestone hills rising to 150m.  Batu Caves is made up by three main caves and several small ones. The Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave is the best known and biggest of the Batu caves. To reach the temple cave, you must make your way up 272 rock stairs and through numerous macaque monkeys.    May Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati shower their blessings on all of us. Posted By Deepa H

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