If you are an art lover do not miss out Edakkal caves while visiting Wayanad. Edakkal cave is a captivating prehistoric cave located near Sulthan Bathery. The excellent rock engravings found on the cave walls have drawn attention of worldwide historians and archaeologists. Edakkal caves comprise of three distinct sets of petroglyphs. Archeologists suggest that these cave etchings date back to at least 5000 years. Edakkal caves have been inhabited at various historic stages.
In Malayalam, Edakkal literally refers to “a stone in between”. The term Edakkal is used to denote how the cave is formed in a fissure in the rock. There are two levels in the inner portion of the Edakkal cave. The lower chamber measures eighteen feet long, twelve feet wide and 10 feet high. The lower chamber can be entered through a 5 x 4 feet opening. A passage leads upward through which one climbs to next storey measuring 96 feet long, 18 feet high, and , 22 feet wide. The sunlight enters the Edakkal cave through a big fissure giving natural day light to the dark cave interiors.
One of the legends about this cave states that the caves were formed by arrows shot by sons of Sri Rama, the Hindu god from the epic Ramayana. Another local legend relates the little devil of Malabar, the Kuttichattan with the Edakkal caves. The Edakkal cave site is considered as a habitat of Neolithic people based on the Neolithic carving on the inner side of caves.
Some consider the carvings as handiwork of Kurumbars tribes of Wayanad. This cave is indeed an archaeological treasure with undiscovered historic facts. This cave is also an excellent trekking spot. Edakkal cave in Sulthan Bathery is an excellent historic treasure which is yet to be completely explored.
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