Good news for those who have huffed and puffed up the 272 steps
leading to the Sri Subramaniar temple at the Batu Caves in Selangor.
This year an escalator will be built at the popular shrine to provide
easier access to the cave temple for disabled and elderly visitors.
Batu Caves in Gombak, just north of Kuala Lumpur, is dedicated to the
Hindu god of war Murugan. A 42.7m-tall statue of the deity greets
visitors at the entrance of the temple.
Thousands of tourists and Hindu devotees visit one of the most
popular shrines outside India, with numbers rising to an estimated 1.6
million over the four-day Thaipusam period.
The 272 steps leading to the limestone caves were painted in bright shades of blue, red, green and orange in 2018.