Wayanad Tourist Information

The discovery of the cave and its identification as a prehistoric site were quite accidental by F. Fawcett, the then superintendent of police. An enthusiast in prehistory, Fawcett went around exploring the Wayanad high ranges which eventually led to the discovery of the Edakkal rockshelter in 1894. He identified the site as a habitat of neolithic people on the basis of the nature of representations on the cave walls, which appeared to him as engravings made of neolithics celts. Edakkal rock engravings stand out distinct among the magnitude of prehistoric visual archives of paintings and graphic signs all over the world. It is the world's richest pictographic gallery of its kind.

This location of breathtaking beauty is three kilometres from Ambalavayal which is 25 kilometre from Kalpetta. The Edakkal cave in the Ambukuthy mountain, is not a cave in the real sense. As stated in the India Antiquary (Vol.XXX, page 410) and quoted in the District Gazette, Kozhikode, it is only'a cleft about 96ft. long and 22ft wide in the rock'. It is a fissure made by a corner of rock splitting off from the main body due to some natural causes. The depth of both the cleft and the fissure is 30 ft. What makes it a cave to the ordinary observer is the fact that in the other portion of the large cleft, an enormous rock, weighing several tonnes, has fallen forming a roof over a large part of it. The rock wall contains some interesting carvings, which represent human and animal figures and objects of human use and symbols. These carvings speak of a highly civilized people of prehistoric age and inspires the archaeologists and historians to rewrite the history of Wayanad and Kerala as a whole.

Edakkal caves12 km from Sulthan Bathery. 3 caves are located at a height of 1000 mts on Ambukuthi mala near Ambalavayal. The new stone age pictorial writings on the walls of these natural caves at Edakkal are the evidence of the civilizations that existed in the regions in the prehistoric times. The caves can be accessed only by a 1km trekking trail from Edakkal. Morning hours are the best time to visit these caves. Entry is permitted only upto 1700 hrs. An interesting trek up of the Ambukuthi Hill near Ambalavayal town takes you to this fascinating neolithic cave site. Etchings found on the walls of these caves have drawn the serious attention of archeologists and historians worldwide. With at least three distinct sets of petroglyphs, the earliest thought to date back over 3000 years, it is assumed that the Edakkal caves had been inhabited at various stages in history.

Inside, one finds ancient stone scripts, cave drawings and pictorial wall inscriptions of human and animal figures with peculiar head dresses, the swastik forms and symbols. Archaeologists consider these as one of the earliest centres of human habitation. Similar straight line cave drawings (considered 7000 years old) have been found only in Stiriya in the European Alps and a few rocky places in Africa. The drawings at Edakkal depict the human figures, stars, wheels, bows, knives, palm trees etc.

Edakkal literally translates into 'a stone in between' in Malayalam. The caves, that stand on Ambukutty mala (a mountain) at a height of 1000 m, were discovered quiet accidently by the F. Fawcett, the then superintendent of police. The caves preserves prehistoric rock engravings including a human figure with headgear, a human figure on wheeled cart, images of a tribal king & queen, a deer and an elephant. You can take your own vehicle only for the first kilometre. From there, a jeep has to be hired and then a trek of one kilometre will take you to the caves. Apart from the engravings, the views from atop is also splendid.

An interesting trek up the Ambukuthi Hill near Ambalavayal town takes you to the fascinating neolithic cave site of Edakkal. Etchings found on the walls of these caves have drawn the serious attention of archaeologists and historians worldwide. With at least three distinct sets of petroglyphs, the earliest thought to date back over 5000 years, it is assumed that the Edakkal caves had been inhabited at various stages in history. An interesting attraction close by is a telescope installed by the DTPC a few feet from the caves that offers a panoramic view of the surrounding country.