Thaipusam at Batu Caves

What Thaipusam is, and when

Thaipusam is the Tamil Hindu festival honoring Murugan, and the events are held at Batu Caves, a limestone hill about 13 km north of Kuala Lumpur. It falls on the first full moon of the Tamil month of Thai, so it moves each year. Friday 22 January 2027 is the expected date. It is a regional holiday rather than a national one: Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Putrajaya and Selangor.

The date comes from public-holiday calendars, and each state confirms its own holiday list closer to the time.

The silver chariot

The festival starts the night before the main day, in the city. In 2026 a silver chariot left the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Kuala Lumpur at about 9pm on 30 January, headed for the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple at Batu Caves. The main day was Sunday 1 February, so the chariot set out two days earlier.

The steps and the cave

On the day the crowds gather at the foot of the hill, and devotees climb the 272 rainbow-colored steps to the Temple Cave. Many carry paal kudam, milk pots, in large groups. Some carry kavadi, decorated frames, and some of the kavadi are elaborate metal structures attached to the body with hooks and piercings. Others carry iron rods or insert skewers into the cheeks, which are linked to the lance that Parvati gave Murugan.

Below the Temple Cave, the Dark Cave leads into a network of caves more than 1 km long with wildlife and statues. Some caves need permission from the Malaysian Nature Society. The golden statue of Lord Murugan stands 42.7 m tall.

Tourism Malaysia expected about 2.5 million visitors in 2026, according to CelcomDigi's guide to that year's festival. Carnifest advises booking accommodation in advance, since demand rises during the festival.

Getting there

Take the train. KTM Komuter ends at Batu Caves, and the festival guidance in 2026 was to leave the car at home. Gombak district police closed roads around Batu Caves from 12:01am on 30 January until midnight on 3 February, seven main roads in stages, and police closed and diverted traffic at 12 intersections in Kuala Lumpur for the chariot procession. If you use a ride-hailing app, the 2026 advice was to get out at Taman Wahyu or Sentul and walk the rest.

In 2026 KTMB ran trains round the clock for four days and three nights, from 30 January to 2 February, and 28 stations stayed open 24 hours. It added 609 trips on three routes: Batu Caves to Pulau Sebang, Batu Caves to Port Klang, and Tanjong Malim to KL Sentral, with transfers at KL Sentral. The extra trips started after the last scheduled train of each day, from 9:15pm on the Pulau Sebang line and 10:25pm on the Port Klang line, and from KL Sentral they began as early as 7:32am with a train every 30 minutes. The Tanjong Malim line had no 24-hour service.

Klang Valley rides were free on 31 January and 1 February 2026, from midnight to 11:59pm, but you still had to tap in and out at the gates. Payment worked with KITS Style, Komuter Link, Touch 'n Go, or a debit or credit card.

Where to sleep

KL Sentral is the interchange for KTM Komuter and the station where the extra trains in 2026 started. Sentul was one of the two drop-off points named for ride-hailing. Central Kuala Lumpur is the base for most of the city, and the train is the way out to Batu Caves from there.

Etiquette

Dress modestly, and expect to walk the last stretch. In 2026 the organisers asked visitors to leave their shoes in the car or carry them in a bag, and the temple placed more than 300 small rubbish bins under a littering ban that took effect on 1 January. The temple area is a prohibited zone for drones without a permit. CelcomDigi's guide for 2026 lists the things that visitors get wrong: taking selfies with devotees in the middle of a ritual, pointing your feet at shrines or offerings, littering, and being loud or rowdy.

For official information, Tourism Malaysia lists [email protected] and the within-Malaysia infoline 1-300-88-5050.