From Batu Caves to Gua Musang, Deepavali draws visitors near and far

At Batu Caves in Selangor, the colours were enough to stop Evelina Nesterenko in her tracks.

The 24-year-old Russian tourist, visiting the landmark for the first time, found herself drawn into the sights and atmosphere of Deepavali at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, where devotees and visitors filled the grounds with vibrant hues and movement yesterday.

“It’s really impressive. It’s so beautiful and colourful – I just want to go and look at everything and see them with my own eyes,” said Nesterenko, an English teacher based in Vietnam.

Her trip to Malaysia was partly inspired by friends who had spoken warmly of the country, but she was also curious about its cultural diversity.

“Russia is also very multinational and we have lots of festivals for different cultures,” she told Bernama. “So, it’s really nice that there is a place for everyone and that people are interested in different national festivals.”

German tourist Lena Koetter was struck by something slightly different: the atmosphere of people simply enjoying the occasion together. After two weeks in Malaysia, she said the warmth she experienced from locals was one of the highlights of her visit.

“I really like the people here. They are so kind,” she said, adding that the celebrations, complete with fireworks, offered a welcome sense of joy and togetherness.

For Bhanuprakash, a bank officer from India who has lived in Malaysia for nearly a year, Batu Caves felt both familiar and different. The prayers and rituals reminded him of Deepavali celebrations back home, but Malaysia’s open-house tradition was new to him.

“Normally, Diwali for us involves celebrating at our place. Not open house, we don’t go to parties; but at our own place, with our own family,” he explained.

Meanwhile, 300km away…

In Gua Musang, Kelantan, the mood was more intimate. At the Sri Subramanyaswamy Temple, built at the foot of a limestone hill, devotees gathered not only from the surrounding area but also from Selangor, Johor and overseas.

Temple secretary N Darnam said its location was part of its charm, with the limestone backdrop giving the celebrations a setting quite unlike the bustle of Batu Caves.

More than 100 visitors attended this year, including devotees from Nepal, India and Bangladesh, as well as foreign workers employed in plantations around the district.

For devotee P Jegan, the trip carried a more personal meaning. The 37-year-old works in Kajang but returned to his hometown two days early to continue a tradition started by his late father.

“Every year, I return to Gua Musang to celebrate Deepavali with my family at this temple,” he told Bernama yesterday. “This has been practised by my late father for a long time, and I want to continue it.”

Today, he will be celebrating with his wife’s family in Kota Bharu.

For T Shahtishwaran, 28, an early-morning visit to the temple was also an opportunity to reconnect with relatives, friends, and the wider Indian community before continuing the day with visits to family homes.

From one of Malaysia’s most recognisable Hindu landmarks to a smaller temple tucked beneath a limestone hill, the settings could hardly be more different.

Yet in both places, Deepavali offers much the same thing: a reason to gather, to return, to look around with fresh eyes – and, for some, to feel at home.

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.