Malaysia: Batu Cave Temple and the World's Tallest Murugan Statue
I believe almost all visitors of Kuala Lumpur won't miss Batu Cave, next to the Petronas Twin Towers. I was doubly excited to visit this karst-formed Batu Caves when it was featured as a photographic location of the 2014 Asia's Next Top Model (By the way, the Malaysian won and her two runners-up are both Filipinos). This is a Hindu temple first and a tourist attraction next. But contrary to my high expectations, I was dismayed by the dirty stairs and floors. While I know that caves are supposed to be bat-inhabited and dim and unswept, at least I expected Batu Cave to be clean and well-lit given the temple and shrines in the interior of the cave. In the ANTM episode, I saw a newly-painted, well-lit and decently clean stairs, so I had these in my mind. At any rate, this did not stop me from climbing the Temple or Cathedral Cave. *** But despite its apparent uncleanliness (good thing, we need not remove our shoes), further readings on this religious site silenc...