The year was 1895 when Fred Fawcett discovered the Edakkal caves in the Wayanad District of Kerala. Upon further inspection, he realized that he had indeed stumbled upon a Neolithic settlement, with the caves dating back as far as 6000 BC.
The Edakkal Caves are located in Edakkal in the Wayanad district of the southern state of Kerala, India.
There was a fascinating looking open Church by the side of the road. This was the St. George Malankara Catholic Church, Kuppakkolly. It is a church dedicated to Mother Mary who is known here as Edakkal Amma. The road was filled with small shops that sold everything from spices to souvenirs to coffee and chocolates. They were quite reasonably priced too.
There were some remarkable views of distant hills against the backdrop of the blue sky that seemed to have been dabbed with random strokes of white.
The Walk Up To the Caves
The path got steeper as we moved towards the caves and eventually led us to a ticket counter. A gate near the counter was the entry to the Edakkal Caves. The hike to the Edakkal Caves is in itself a quest as you come across some stony trails surrounded by lush greenery all around. We had left the road behind and now we had a rocky path to tread on.
Inside The First of the Edakkal Caves, Wayanad
We reached the entrance to the first cave which is enclosed by a steel gate, after guiding ourselves between the rocks with some adroitness. The views got more and more outstanding as we climbed towards the top. The clear blue skies enhanced the beauty of the surroundings. It looked as if a sea of green was merging with a sea of blue on the horizon.
After a steep climb to 1200 meters above sea level we reached the entrance to the main cave of the Edakkal Caves.
Inside The Main Chamber of the Edakkal Caves, Wayanad
Once inside the cave, the feeling was amazing. The rock walls were flush with engravings. Symbols, geometric shapes, wheels, faint shapes of animals and humans vied with each other to grasp your attention. The carvings and painting inside the cave are from different eras and propose that the cave was occupied at different periods in history. A connection to the Indus Valley Civilization is also likely and being explored by experts.
The Edakkal Caves Wayanad is not actually a cave but is a rock shelter that has been naturally formed by a piece of rock splitting away from the main body. The Edakkal Cave measures approximately 96 Ft. by 22 Ft., and has a depth of about 30 Ft. A cleft between two huge rocks provides a spectacular but narrow view of the outside world.
It was a very adventurous experience and I would recommend Edakkal Caves as one of the best places to visit in Wayanad. I loved it; as on the one hand, it had the thrill of adventure, while on the other the Edakkal Caves fed our curiosity and interest in the origins and evolution of Man.
Important Tips For You:
- Don’t wear white shoes (I wore and I regret it till date)
- Carry something to munch (as it’s really a long way up)
- Water bottle is MUST (Although there are small shops but once you start trekking after the ticket counter, you won’t find any)
- Make sure you are carrying an umbrella if visiting during the month of June, July, August Or September. It can rain anytime. (Notice my wet hair, it’s because we didn’t have an umbrella or a raincoat)
- Beware of leaches (I highly recommend shoes over sandals or flipflops, and yes, NO HEELS)
- Morning 9-11 is the best time to visit the caves
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