Published by Caves are important archeological sites that provided us invaluable knowledge of the past. Caves are also economically important because many caves are major sources of guano. Likewise, many caves are popular tourist destinations. On the other hand, there are also caves which are considered holy by some religious groups. Here are five holy caves from different part of the world.
Batu Caves
One cave regarded as holy in Malaysia is the Batu Caves. This holy cave is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Kuala Lumpur- the capital of Malaysia. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to god Murugan. It is the focal point of the annual Thaipusam festival in Malaysia and attracts over more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in History.
Cave of the Patriarchs
The picture above is the enclosure of the Cave of the Patriarchs. The Cave of the Patriarchs is considered holy for the Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is a series of subterranean caves located in a complex called by Muslims the Ibrahimi Mosque or Sanctuary of Abraham. The name is either a reference to the layout of the burial chamber, or alternatively refers to the biblical couples, i.e.: cave of the tombs of couples. The compound is located in the ancient city of Hebron. The 3 religious groups maintain the same traditions that the site is the burial place of four Biblical couples: (1) Adam and Eve; (2) Abraham and Sarah; (3) Isaac and Rebekah; (4) Jacob and Leah. According to Midrashic sources the Cave of the Patriarchs also contains the head of Esau and according to some Islamic sources it is also the tomb of Joseph.
Amarnath Caves
Amarnath Caves are one of the most famous shrines in Hinduism, dedicated to the god Shiva. The caves are located in the Jammu and Kashmir. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology. Inside the main Amarnath cave lays an ice stalagmite resembling the Shiva Linga, which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter. This lingam is said to grow and shrink with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival. According to Hindu mythology, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati. There are two other ice formations representing Parvati and Ganesha, Shiva’s son.
Holy Cave of Matale
For Buddhists, the Holy Cave of Matale is the most holy of all the caves in the whole island of Sri Lanka. Two thousands years ago a small group of Theravada Buddhist Monks gathered there for several years to inscribe the entire Pali Tipitaka in Ola Leaves, a crucial historical act which sustain the original textual teaching of the Buddha to this day.
Ajanta Caves
Other caves considered holy in India are the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India. These are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the 2nd century BCE, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art. The Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
For more caves see
Spectacular Caves From Around The World
Fascinating read, and the pictures are just wonderful…
Fantastic article with beautiful pictures.
Great read!
I didn’t know there was such a thing; great finds and information!
very informative, very interesting article. well done Buddy
wondeful pictures and a very informative article. Thanks for sharing.
You are the king, you write the best articles.
Great article
Keep going.
An outstanding article, nobert! This is one of the most interesting articles I have read in a while.
What gorgeous pictures and a wonderful job. Thanks for sharing.
I love all of these. Great read Norbert
Wow, very interesting.
Breathtaking,holy caves,containing religion,history and beauty.
nice article…
Excellent article and research as usual! Truly breathtaking!
There are two very holy caves in Islam: Haraa, were Muhammad PBUH first received Allah’s Message, and Thur cave were he could hide from his enemies with the help of Allah
You must add Mata Vaishno Devi cave near Jammu, India. In 2007 there were 7 million visitors to this Hindu shrine dedicated to goddess Vaishno Devi.
Awesome caves, man! You never run out of great places to research and write about.
Very interesting article nobert
Neat caves, great places to visit.
Great places. I wish I could visit them all soon. Great article Norbert.
I’d love to see some of these places some day. Although the Batu Caves looks like quite a climb..lol. Lovely article Nobert. Execellent work, keep it up.
Amazing caves, Nobert, and a very interesting write-up.
Fantastic article and wonderful picture tour of the caves. Nobert, you have demonstrated an exciting story-telling technique that is both educational and fun.
God Bless,
Nelson Doyle
Hey, Nobert, this is really cool. I might add a couple of neat caves I’ve seen in recent years: the Cave Church in Cairo where a Bible-believing church of a few thousand meets and also lots of interesting caves in Petra, Jordan.
Interesting and great article. Love those beautiful photos.