Kallumalai Cave Temple

Kallumalai is a Hindu temple at the foot of a limestone cliff on the northern edge of Ipoh, dedicated to Murugan. Its gopuram is reckoned among the tallest in Malaysia: the many-tiered gate tower is covered from top to bottom with painted figures of gods and celestial dancers. The main sanctuary is arranged directly in a cave eaten out by water in the body of the mountain, and in front of the entrance spreads a courtyard with coloured patterns on the paving. The temple was founded by Tamil workers from the tin mines at the end of the nineteenth century, and it still remains the centre of the Indian community of Perak. At the festival of Thaipusam one of the most crowded processions in the country comes here.

On the map