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Tour to Edakkal
Facts and Figures:
Location: Ambukuthi Hills, Wayanad, Kerala.
Unique Features: One of the earliest sites of human habitation, the Edakkal caves represents an exceptionally rich Pictographic Gallery of its kind.
Access: Only by a 1 km trek trail
Geographical Position: 11°12’N latitude, 76°15’E longitude
General Elevation of the Ground: 1200 meters above sea level
Location
Edakkal caves are located on the Ambukuthi Hills near Ambalavayal, at a distance of about 10 kilometers from Sultan Bathery, in Wayanad District, Kerala.
History of Edakkal
If you have an interest in primitive history, make sure to include a tour to Edakkal in your Kerala tour itinerary. The Edakkal Caves were said to have formed naturally, when out of some natural causes, three massive boulders got disoriented in such a way that one rested on the other two, with some part of it jutting out and forming the roof in between. The cave walls are adorned with numerous scriptures and carvings depicting prehistoric men and their ways of life. At Edakkal there are stone scripts, cave drawings and pictorial inscriptions of human and animal figures with unique head dresses, swastik representations, stars, wheels, bows, knives, palm trees etc. These drawings resemble the 7000 year old straight line cave drawings found only in Stiriya in the European Alps and certain rocky places in Africa.
About Edakkal
The two caves at Edakkal are about 30 ft deep, and the wall inscriptions are of immense historical significance. Though the origins of these cave drawings have not yet been traced with certainty, they are still evocative enough to lure tourists from far and wide to embark upon a tour to Edakkal. They provide an excellent depiction of the highly civilized pre-historic people and their habitats. These caves can be accessed only through a 1 km trek route from Edakkal. The journey to the top is an extremely challenging one, but the excellent scenic beauty all around - acres and acres of green forest and hillocks, are sure to bowl you over on your tour to Edakkal.
How to Reach:
- Nearest Airport:
Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode, about 23km from Kozhikode town.
- Nearest Railhead:
At Kozhikode, about 97 km from Sultan Bathery.
Tourist Places around Edakkal
- Pakshipathalam -
An idyllic hill resort located in the Brahmagiri hills, 7 km north-east of Thirunelli, Pakshipathalam houses a wide variety of birds and animals.
- Kuruvadweep –
Located in close proximity to Edakkal, Kuruvadwep is a beautiful island on the banks of the Kabani River, 17 km from Mananthavady.
- Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary –
One of the important Wildlife Sanctuaries in Kerala, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1973, is located amidst exquisite locales at an area just 15 km from Kozhikode.
Fairs and Festivals
Wayanad being a major district of Kerala, it celebrates all major festivals of the state like Onam Festival, Thrissur Pooram, and others. But the festivals unique to this place include Thirunelli Festival – the two day annual festival of Sree Thirunelli Devaswom held in April, and Valliyoorkkavu Festival – the annual festival of Goddess Bhagavathy, held in March.
Where to Stay:
The various hotels and resorts in and around Wayanad offer decent accommodation facilities suiting the budgets of all kinds of tourists on tour to Edakkal.
tourism-of-india.com offers information on tour to Edakkal and to other regions in Kerala, India.
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