Edakkal Caves

A travel tour to Kerala, God's own country showcases a vast variety of architectural and natural marvels at the disposal of a seeking traveler who needs to be informed about attractions like the Edakkal cave treasures. A visit to the caves would reveal them to be the oldest pictographic evidence ever to be found on earth. The Edakkal caves at Wayanad are believed to be one of the earliest centers of human habitation. Being one of the earliest habitations, the Edakkal caves are a window to the endless queries about the evolution and the way of life of human beings.

The Edakkal caves are situated on the Ambukuthi hills, the caves are only at a distance of 10 kms. from Sultan Bathery, in Wayanad district. The caves were discovered way back in 1894, by a pre-history enthusiast police superintendent. The caves are at a height of 1000m on the Ambukuthi hills near Ambalavayal. The caves can be reached only after a 1 km. trekking from Eddakal and so the morning hours are the best time to visit the caves. The Edakkal caves have been formed by a large split in a huge rock; the two natural rock formations represent the world's richest pictographic gallery of its kind. The caves contain several paintings and pictorial writings of the New Stone Age Civilization which simply speaks volumes of the bygone life and civilization. It is interesting to note that similar cave drawings, believed to be 7000 years old, are found in the European Alps and also in a few places of Africa.

The name Ambukuthimala is ascribed to the local legend which has it that the caves were formed by arrows fired by Lava and Kush, the sons of Sri Rama, legendary hero of the Ramayana. The 1500-acre of Reserve Forest of Wayanad also houses as many as 200 Stone Age monuments. Down town Ambalavayal has a heritage museum.