EDAKKAL CAVES
AT
WAYANAD
Edakkal caves located in the remote area of wayanad district of kerala state of India. It is a dwelling that
showcases nature’s skill and philosophy on architecture and you have to trek to
about 4000 ft up a mountain to reach the place. We are talking about Edakkal
Caves, which still remain a wonder and a mystery for archaeologists and historians
alike.
Edakkal Caves are situated
about 16 km from Sulthan Bathery and tourists have to trek up the Ambukuthi
Hill to reach the caves. The trek up the hill, peppered with coffee
plantations, is worth an experience and it takes almost 45 minutes to climb the
hill. The lush greenery and scenic
landscape around and the cool breeze that carries the aroma of coffee will
surely make your journey an unforgettable one.
A remote ticket office is
perched high on the top of the mountain and the tourists can buy entry tickets
from there. The authorities will open before you an iron gate, and then you can
enter a world of history, which has never ceased to allure people.
A telescope is installed a
few feet from the caves. It offers a panoramic view of the surrounding country.The
name of Edakkal Caves literally means `a stone in between’. As the name
indicates, it seems that one boulder miraculously wedged in between two bigger
ones to create a cave.
Scientists too are of the
opinion that Edakkal Caves is not a cave in the real sense. It is a fissure in
the rocks which had been created due to natural causes/ changing climatic
conditions. The split in the rock is about 22 ft. in width and 96 ft. in
length. The depth of the cleft extends to over 30 ft and there is a large rock
which has fallen forming a roof over it and this large cleft and the roof-rock
gives it the appearance of a cave.
There are many legends
associated with the gigantic fissure at Edakkal. People believe that Lord Rama,
one of the earlier visitors of this area, shot an arrow which pierced the
mountain and created a deep cleft there. The name of the hills, Ambukuthy too
is derived from this legend. (In Malayalam, Ambu means arrow and kuthy means
`to pierce’ and hence the name.)
Local people associate
local deities with the caves and you can see many idols near the caves.The discovery of the caves
dates back to 1895 and it is associated with the then Superintendent of Police
of Malabar District, Fred Fawcett. He
was on a hunting trip to Wayanad and happened to notice in the coffee estate a
stone axe which had been used by a Neolithic Celt.
Fred was an enthusiast of
pre-history and this incident increased his curiosity about the place. After
making inquiries with the local people he decided to explore the high ranges of
Wayanad further. He went past the thick foliage in the Ambukuthy Mala; in his
mission, he could find a rock shelter up the mountain, which is considered to
be one of the earliest settlements of human beings on earth.
There were signs
indicating that the Caves were inhabited by people during New Stone Age and
this exciting discovery drew the attention of archaeologists and historians
across the world. The caves are replete with various etchings and prehistoric
line drawings and the nature of representations on the cave walls indicate that
the caves were occupied by various sets of people during various stages of
history.
Three distinct sets of
petroglyphs can be seen in the caves and some depictions are as old as 7000
years. Edakkal is the only known place for stone age carvings in South
India. The carvings belonging to
Neolithic and Mesolithic Age include ancient stone scripts, ancient weaponry
figures, symbols, figures of various animals and human beings etc.
The rock surface is full
of linear motifs and one can see weird shaped figures, crosses, triangles,
tridents, squares, stars, wheels, spirals, plant motifs, pot shaped items,
various animals and human figures. Many of
the human figures have raised hair, some have masked faces and all these
figures are eye-catching and have archaeological significance. Apart from these
pictorial carvings, ancient inscriptions including a Tamil Brahmi script have
been identified from the caves.
Images of a tribal king, a
queen, a child, a deer and an elephant can be seen on the wall. A human figure
with headgear, another on a wheeled cart and some male and female figures too
can be seen. There are images of tools
used by earlier human beings and many other symbols which suggest the presence
of pre historic men.
The recent outcomes of the
researches and excavations at the Edakkal Caves indicate its probable links
with Indus valley civilization. There were about 400 signs that were recently
identified and have significant link with the Indus Valley Civilisation and the
prominent one among these signs is ``a man with a jar cup’’.
This has been the distinct motif of the Indus
Valley civilisation and the presence of such signs indicates that the Harappan
civilisation (2300 BC to 1700 BC) was active in south India too. An iron
railing is placed in the cave which helps prevent visitors damaging the
carvings. And the damp interior with history ic air and signs is sure to
enthral any visitor.
Nearest railway station:
Kozhikode, about 97 km from Sultan Bathery
Nearest airport: Calicut
International Airport about 23 km from Kozhikode
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