Celebrations at Batu Caves are an amazing experience for tourists; yearly over 10.000 tourists visit the celebrations at the caves. The night before Thaipusam Hindus gather at the Sri Mahamariaman Temple along Jalan Tun HS Lee (Chinatown/Petaling Street area). From there they will leave around midnight on a 15 kilometer (approximately 8 hour) walk towards the Batu Caves where they will arrive the next morning. The long trip culminates in the flight of 272 steps to the cave entrance. It is said that well over a million people visit the Batu Caves during Thaipusam, so be prepared for a very crowded, hectic and sometimes even claustrophobic experience. At some points it can be so crowded that people are pushing the masses to get forward. It is best to stay away from these crowds. The best place to get some great shots of the crowds is by walking towards the elevated highway (which is packed with parked cars anyways).