Edakkal Caves - 2 Natural caves in Wayanad

Edakkal Caves are two natural caves in the remote location of Wayanad. It is at 1200 metres above the sea level on Ambukuthi Mala. The name 'Edakkal' literally means 'a stone in between' in Malayalam. Here, one can see a cave formed by a heavy boulder straddling a fissure in the rock. There are many legends behind the formation of Edakkal caves. But, it is widely studied and confirmed that the carving here may belong around 6000 BC. According to one, these caves are said to be formed with the arrows fired by Lava and Kusha, the sons of lord Rama, one of the incarnations of lord Vishnu. Another one is associated with Kuttichathan and the Goddess Mudiampilly.

The earliest settlements here were the tribals who used to visit this cave to honour their Goddess. Now, the caves have two levels accessible though narrow iron steps. The lower chamber is around 18 feet long and 10 feet high, from here leads to the upper chamber which is around 95 feet long and 18 feet high. The stone walls in the upper chamber have several line drawings dating back to 6000 BC. Some of the drawings are 8000 years old. According to archaeologists, this place is one of the earliest centers of human habitation. It is a challenging trek up the steep rocky mountains and one of the few tourist places in Wayanad not suitable for kids and elderly people. The caves belong to the stone age when people used to write on stone using sharp man made tools.

You can find these etchings that include images of humans, animals, religious symbols and other signs that were used by the ancient man those days. It is interesting to know that in 1890 the then British Malabar Police Superintendent named Fawcett on his way for hunting, had found rock tools on the site that were used by the ancient man. Being a prehistoric enthusiast, he explored the cave site and found that the caves had etched rocks that belonged to the Neolithic Age. Now, the caves are under the maintenance of Kerala Archaeology Department and declared it as a protected site. This is the only known place in India to stone age carvings. Along with these pictorial carvings, one can also come across Tamil and Brahmi script here.