Edakkal Caves Wayanad: History, Discovery & Adventure

Highlights

Description

The Western Ghat is regarded as the home of some of nature’s best gifts to mankind. From wildlife sanctuaries to medicinal plants and best quality spices in Nilgiri Biosphere. From long deep rivers and backwater of Kerala to caves, Western Ghat has been a hotspot of nature’s amazing creations.

This very part of India plays an important part in maintaining the ecosystem and hence has been a tourism hub over the years . One such nature’s astonishing architecture is the Edakkal Caves in Wayanad which gives you a memory like never before.

The Edakkal caves are naturally built twin caves located at about 25 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district of Kerala. Being present in Edakkal region, these twin caves are called Edakkal Caves. 'Edakkal' literally means 'a stone in between', which is very much relevant for this part of Kerala. These caves are situated at a height of 3,900 on Ambukutty Mala, near one of the known ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the ports of the Malabar coast.

Though there are many caves in India, then what makes Edakkal Caves so special? Well, the pictorial writings, carvings that are present in the caves are believed to belong to as early as 6,000 BCE. Means, it is from the Neolithic Men that specifies the existence of a prehistoric civilization or settlement in this particular region. It showcases the development of human race since the Stone Age. There are certain popular myths associated with these caves.

One of which states that the caves were formed with the arrows fired by Lava and Kusha, the sons of Lord Sri Rama. While one another folklore believes that caves were formed by Kutti Chatham and the Goddess Mudiampilly. Well, whatever might be true, but these caves are certainly a popular pilgrim place as many devotees visit this place to honor the Goddess residing at the top end of the caves.

Good to Know

The entire Wayanad district is generously covered with greenery and wildlife all around. It is an integral part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve due to enriched flora and fauna in this region. The Edakkal caves and its nearby places are dominated by teakwood forest, bamboo grooves, tall grassland and marshes as well. It’s a ideal place for bird watching as well.

One can easily spot Peacocks, Owls, Babblers, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos etc. Also, various species of snacks and Monitor Lizards are way too common here. Asian Elephants, Leopards, Nilgiri Tahr, Giant Squirrels, Langurs, Deers are among the common animals here.

Best Season to Visit Edakkal: The best season to explore the Edakkal caves is between October first till Mid- May. This is a great time to discover the various layers of beauty and creativity in the entire Wayanad as this is an ideal season for sightseeing, wildlife tours, trekking, and other outdoor activities.

The surrounding is greener with blossoms on the tree and the mild weather gives you a perfect atmosphere to climb the heights. It's better to avoid a trip during Monsoon as the heavy rains create a flood-like situation and the rocks the very slippery which is dangerous.

Flora & Fauna in Edakkal Caves:
The entire Wayanad district is generously covered with greenery and wildlife all around. It is an integral part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve due to enriched flora and fauna in this region. The Edakkal caves and its nearby places are dominated by teakwood forest, bamboo grooves, tall grassland and marshes as well. It’s a ideal place for bird watching as well.

One can easily spot Peacocks, Owls, Babblers, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos etc. Also, various species of snacks and Monitor Lizards are way too common here. Asian Elephants, Leopards, Nilgiri Tahr, Giant Squirrels, Langurs, Deers are among the common animals here.

Things to do in Edakkal Caves:

1. Have a close look at the paintings and carvings in these caves. These pictorial paintings are believed to date back to the 6000 BC. The engravings and prehistoric drawings of human, animals, symbols and even some kind of alphabets showcase the culture and lives during that ear. It helps us to realize the fact how much human race has grown and developed through out these years.
2. The inner caves of the Edakkal caves happen to be the stone age carvings. These carvings are believed to be from the Neolithic and Mesolithic ages where one can see few Tamil and Brahmi inscriptions as well. These drawings and carvings are drawing a lot of attention of many archaeologists and historians from worldwide.
3. There has been speculations regarding the possible connection to the Indus Valley Civilization as drawings in the caves range over periods from the Neolithicas early as 5,000 BC to 1,000 BCE.
4. Edakkal is adventurous trekking trail as the Caves are petroglyphs. There are many clefts and rocks that together make the caves and its surroundings. There are three types of petroglyphs to see at the Edakkal Caves and the oldest ones date back 8,000 years.
5. Up the hills at the Edakkal caves resides an ancient Goddess in a temple which is again a popular pilgrim site. Also, one can see the ancient burial spot that also have some quotes from Bible crafted on the stones along with pictures of ancient animals and people.

Cost

How to Reach

Edakkal caves are about 25 kilometres from Kelpetta and about 12 kilometres south of Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad. Sulthan Bathery can be recognized as the nearest landmark of Edakkal Caves as it has the KSRTC Bus Stand. On the other hand, Ambalavayal is the nearest town.

Sulthan Bathery and Ambalavayal are the two places from where one can easily get a cab or bus services. But all the buses or cabs will drop you as close as Ambukutty Mala near the Edakkal caves. The Edakkal Caves is located atop the Ambukuthi Mala.

One has to trek through the Ambukutty Mala which takes about 45 mins to 1 hour of steep climb up the hills to reach the twin caves.

• Nearest railway station: The nearest Railway station to Edakkal caves is the Calicut Railway Station which is about 62 kilometres  away and is well connected to many major cities of India. One can also reach Wayanad via Kozhikode which is about 97 km from Sultan Bathery.
• Nearest airport: The nearest Airport to Edakkal Caves is the Calicut International Airport which is about 65 kilometres away Calicut International Airport is about 23 km from Kozhikode.

Note: In order to reach Edakkal from Kozhikode via a road, one has to take the Thamarassery route. You can travel either via the Mysore route (NH212) or Gudalur route.

Getting There

For more info or on any inquiry you can contact the Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). DTPC is an organization that functions under the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. DTPC's are set up in each districts and they are responsible for the development and maintenance of various destinations within the district boundaries. Tourism destinations in Wayanad are managed by Wayanad DTPC and the contact details of Wayanad DTPC are as below:

• Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council
• Civil Station, North Kalpetta
• Wayanad, Kerala, India.
• Pin - 673122
• Tel. +91 4936-202134, +91 94460-72134
• E-mail: [email protected]

Or you can contact the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, at the below address:

• Department of Tourism,
• The government of Kerala, Park View,
• Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
• Pin - 695 033
• Phone: +91 471 2321132, Fax: +91 471 2322279,
• E-mail: [email protected]

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The Western Ghat is regarded as the home of some of nature’s best gifts to mankind. From long deep rivers and backwaters of Kerala, Western Ghat has been a hotspot of nature’s amazing creations. One such astonishing destination is the Edakkal Caves of Wayanad,

The Edakkal caves are naturally built twin caves located at about 25 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district of Kerala. Being present in Edakkal region, these twin caves are called Edakkal Caves. 'Edakkal' literally means 'a stone in between', which is very much relevant for this part of Kerala. These caves are situated at a height of 3,900 on Ambukutty Mala, near one of the known ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the ports of the Malabar coast. 

Edakkal Caves History

Though there are many caves in India, then what makes Edakkal Caves so special? Well, the pictorial writings, carvings that are present in the caves are believed to belong to as early as 6,000 BCE. Means, it is from the Neolithic Men that specifies the existence of a prehistoric civilization or settlement in this particular region. It showcases the development of human race since the Stone Age.

There are certain popular myths associated with these caves. One of which states that the caves were formed with the arrows fired by Lava and Kusha, the sons of Lord Sri Rama. While one another folklore believes that caves were formed by Kutti Chatham and the Goddess Mudiampilly. Well, whatever might be true, but these caves are certainly a popular pilgrim place as many devotees visit this place to honor the Goddess residing at the top end of the caves.

Best time to Visit Edakkal Caves: The best season to explore the Edakkal caves is between October first till Mid- May. This is a great time to discover the various layers of beauty and creativity in the entire Wayanad as this is an ideal season for sightseeing, wildlife tours, trekking, and other outdoor activities. 

Things to do in Edakkal Caves:

1. Have a close look at the paintings and carvings in these caves. These pictorial paintings are believed to date back to the 6000 BC. The engravings and prehistoric drawings of human, animals, symbols and even some kind of alphabets showcase the culture and lives during that ear. It helps us to realize the fact how much human race has grown and developed throughout these years.
2. The inner caves of the Edakkal caves happen to be the stone age carvings. These carvings are believed to be from the Neolithic and Mesolithic ages where one can see few Tamil and Brahmi inscriptions as well. These drawings and carvings are drawing a lot of attention of many archaeologists and historians from worldwide.
3. There have been speculations regarding the possible connection to the Indus Valley Civilization as drawings in the caves range over periods from the Neolithic as early as 5,000 BC to 1,000 BCE.
4. Edakkal is adventurous trekking trail as the Caves are petroglyphs. There are many clefts and rocks that together make the caves and its surroundings. There are three types of petroglyphs to see at the Edakkal Caves and the oldest ones date back 8,000 years.
5. Up the hills at the Edakkal caves resides an ancient Goddess in a temple which is again a popular pilgrim site. Also, one can see the ancient burial spot that also has some quotes from Bible crafted on the stones along with pictures of ancient animals and people.

Flora & Fauna:

The entire Wayanad district is generously covered with greenery and wildlife all around. It is an integral part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve due to enriched flora and fauna in this region. The Edakkal caves and its nearby places are dominated by teakwood forest, bamboo groves, tall grassland, and marshes as well.

Also, various species of snacks and Monitor Lizards are way too common here. Asian Elephants, Leopards, Nilgiri Tahr, Giant Squirrels, Langurs, Deers are among the common animals here.

Also read: Eco-Tourism Activities at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

Edakkal Caves Facts:

How to Reach:

Edakkal cave is about 25 kilometers from Kelpetta and about 12 kilometers south of Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad. Ambalavayal is the nearest town of Edakkal Caves.

One can easily get a cab or bus from Sulthan Bathery or Ambalavayal and they will drop you as close as Ambukuthi Mala. The Edakkal Caves is located atop the Ambukuthi Mala and it takes about 45 mins to 1-hour steep climb to reach the twin caves.

Where to stay:

 The Kerala Tourism Department(KTDC) has hotels in Wayanad with an aim to provide a good place to stay within an affordable price range. Hotel Pepper Grove by KTDC is located at Sulthan Bathery and is close to Edakkal Caves and the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. More details can be found as below:

Places to Visit near Edakkal Caves:

If you are looking for nearby places to visit, here are few of the most visited ones.

1. Chethalayam Waterfalls: About 5 kilometers from Edakkal Caves
2. Jain Temple in Wayanad: About 7.1 kilometers from Edakkal Caves
3. Phantom Rock: About 10 kilometers from Edakkal Caves
4. Wayanad Heritage Museum: About 12.5 kilometers from Edakkal Caves
5. Karapuzha Dam: About 15 kilometers from Edakkal Caves
6. Kuruva island: Edakkal caves to Kuruva island is about 59 kilometers
7. Banasura dam: Edakkal caves to Banasura dam is about 43 kilometers
8.  Chembra peak: Edakkal caves to Chembra peak is about 40 kilometers

Contact Information:

For more info or on any inquiry you can contact the Wayanad DTPC at the below address:

DISTRICT TOURISM PROMOTION COUNCIL (DTPC)
Civil Station, North Kalpetta, Wayanad, Kerala - 673 122
mob: +91 9446072134 (Mob-Manager)
tel: +91 4936 202134
e-mail: [email protected]

Or you can contact the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, at the below address:

Department of Tourism,
Government of Kerala Park View,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Pin - 695 033
Phone: +91 471 2321132, Fax: +91 471 2322279,
E-mail: [email protected]

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