Color Inspiration at the Top of a Temple

So I am back in the US, but my Malaysia journey continues. There were so many beautiful colors there that I have to share more. I am asking you to take a walk with me up 272, no wait 372 steps to the top of a temple where we can experience amazing colors together then at the end I’ll reveal my inspired palette. (I promise it won’t be that exhaustive, let me do all the work!)

As you may remember me saying I am not a big fan of the normal “tourist” outings, but this was an exception because it was so colorful. This is my trek up to the top of the temple at the Batu Caves.

Here’s where it all began…

Batu Caves is a limestone hill said to be around 400 million years old, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Gombak district, 8 miles north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Some of the cave entrances were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people (a tribe of Orang Asli). It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill.

Continuing on my journey to the top I was wowed by this massive statue…

The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. Since 1892 it has been the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in January/February each year.

Look at how tiny the people look on the stairs next to this amazing gold figure! That will be us in just a few seconds…

But before we leave ground we must appreciate the beauty of the temples here. So here are two of the ground temples at the Batu Cave…

Wooden steps up to the Temple Cave were built in 1920 and have since been replaced by 272 concrete steps.

I can already imagine the blues, golds, and red-oranges that are running though your minds as inspiration for new color palettes based on this trip. So without further adu…lets head to the top!

These little monkeys were so cute, and there were tons of them. Lots of babies too. However, I was warned in advance not to set anything down on the steps as I go up. The monkeys will immediately grab your belongings and, well, good luck on getting them back. Thank goodness I listened, I saw many people that did not and their items were gone quickly!

Now turning around and looking down!

Here’s the colorful site that greeted me when I finally reached the top.

But that was just the beginning. I had no idea there were another 100 steps to go to actually reach the temple. Sweaty, hot, and thirsty, I kept trekking along for the sake of coming away with the experience and inspiration.

As I left the site that afternoon feeling a closer to nature and peaceful in spirit, I pondered how the colors would affect me. Inspired by the trip up those stairs and what was awaiting me at the top, I created this palette to represent the day. I hope it will inspire you too!