History The caves were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people, a tribe of Orang Asli. In the 1860s, Chinese settlers began excavating guano from the caves, used as fertilisers. In 1878, the caves were discovered by American naturalist William Hornaday. K. Thamboosamy, an Indian Tamil trader, promoted the cave complex as a site of Hindu worship. A Hindu temple dedicated to lord Murugan was completed in 1891 with the annual Thaipusam celebrations commencing in 1892. Further development of religious sites has happened ever since in the region. Housing development around the region began in the late 20th century with non-governmental organisations expressing concerns about the over-development.
History The caves were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people, a tribe of Orang Asli. In the 1860s, Chinese settlers began excavating guano from the caves, used as fertilisers. In 1878, the caves were discovered by American naturalist William Hornaday. K. Thamboosamy, an Indian Tamil trader, promoted the cave complex as a site of Hindu worship. A Hindu temple dedicated to lord Murugan was completed in 1891 with the annual Thaipusam celebrations commencing in 1892 Further development of religious sites has happened ever since in the region. Housing development around the region began in the late 20th century with non-governmental organisations expressing concerns about the over-development.