Edakkal Caves are two natural caves located 1000 metres high on Ambukutty Mala 25 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district of Kerala in India’s Western Ghats. They lie on an ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the Malabar coast ports. Inside the caves are pictorical writings believed to be from neolithic man, evidence of the presence of a prehistoric civilisation existing in this region. Such stone age carvings are very rare and these are the only known examples in southern India.
Petroglyphs
These are not technically caves but rather a cleft or rift approximately 96 feet by 22 feet, a 30 foot deep fissure caused by a piece of rock splitting away from the main body. On one side of the cleft a rock weighing several tons has fallen over the fissure forming a roof. The carvings are of human and animal figures, as well as of tools used by humans and symbols, suggesting they were created by a highly civilised prehistoric people.
The petroglyphs inside the cave are of at least three distinct types. The oldest may date back over 8000 years ago. Evidence indicates that the Edakkal caves had been inhabited at several different times in history.
The caves were accidentally discovered by Fred Fawcett in 1890 who immediately understood their anthropological and historical importance. He subsequently wrote an article about them, attracting the attention of scholars.
Tourism Information
- Approximate time required to climb till top of the hill and down: 3-4 hours.
- Entry to the hill closes by 4 PM.
- Departmental Jeeps can be hired to travel initial few km till the foot of the hill..
- Other nearby places- Soojippara water falls, Sultan Bather, Matunga Wildlife Sanctuary.
Get around
- Bus – Plenty of local bus services are available for transportation between the townships. But if you want to go to some tourist places you have to rely on a taxi.
- Autorickshaw – Autorickshaws are cheaper compared to taxis and can be used to reach the interior places from the townships.
- Taxi – Local taxis are also available at cheap rates (In Wayanad, the term Taxi is mostly in reference with Jeep).
- Car – You can hire a car from most of the townships if you want to travel effortlessly.
- Walk – Many places of attractions are nearby the towns so you could walk between them.
I visited this place 5 yrs back, that time, they did not allow photography, how did u manage to click snaps?
The water there is very cold, and when you try to do rock climbing you need to be careful, the stones have been cut for grip but due to weathering all the gripping places have sand in them, the possibility to slip is very high
This is just wondefull. We have many unknown places yet to be explore. This is the first time I read that India too have these prehistoric caves or civilization
Thanks mam, plz settledown in your life peacefully
Thankyou for the trip in time & back from 8000 years !!!
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wat a beautiful caves i want to go there
Wow wat a beauty places and thanks published and also well thanks to photograper
nice .. I wonna to go n enjoy this place..
hiiiiiiii this is outstanding . i want to see the caves
It is fascinatig and ejoyable.Unfortunately not much publicity is given to popularise for tourism.
nagesh
That’s just WONDEFULL. Kerela GODS OWN LAND.
Thank you once again for the photo tour.
this is good and sexy
What a wonderful group that makes us aware of all such places which are relatively lesser known but exciting none-the-less!
THANKS FOR SENDING ME BEAUTIFUL CAVES PICTURES
SUPERB!!!!!!!!!!!!! WORTH A PLACE TO VISIT!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks you.
An unparalleled beauty hidden on this cliff range.. A serene atmosphere to relax and rejuvenate.. I wish if I could go there with a group.. If there are willingness from anybody, we can plan…..
hey thats a cool place…..i like to go to such prehistorice locations….maybe wil visit there some time
WORTH PLACE TO VISIT.I TOO WANT TO VISIT AFTER SAW THE PHOTOGRAPHS
Wonderful and great work. Thank you.
what do the scripts carved in stones tell about?
it is a beutiful place to the history of kerala. thank you for the wonder message i got.
THE PHOTOS WERE GOOD TO SEE HOW OUR HUMAN DID THIS NICE WORK.
THE PHOTOS WERE SO NICE TO SEE AND THINK HOW OUR OLDEN DAYS HUMANS DID THIS WORKS.
wav its amesing n fantastik n superb n very very fine
jag
BAHOT ACHHA
thanks for calling back my golden memories.
These are truly beautiful pictures
These caves are little known ones. Very good photography. u deserve gratitude for presenting these ancient monument to the public. I will try to visit when I come to Kerala, A historically valuable monument telling how our ancesters lived in that time.
Excellent information.
NICE PLACES
YEAH WE HAVE MANY PLACES YET TO SEE LIKE THIS.SURELY ONE SHOULD LIKE THIS TYPE OF MOUNTAINS.
Awesome !! Must See This Place.
An unknown or rather unpublicisized place of wonder worthy of visit
hi i am nasir from pakistan
REALY A FANTASTIC VIEW OF THE UNFORSEEN SCENERY ON THE EARTH !!
good place and nice views
That’s just WONDEFULL!
i visited 20 yers back
I visited this place last year. As a senior citizen, I climbed more than half way up, but had to give up the last bit, as there were no rails on both sides of the steps. I hope they have put proper rails now.
nice place.I love india..I am coming to kerala.
There is a point on top of cave from where you can see 3 states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka. I am surprised that Arvind was not allowed photography becuse we clicked a lot of them. And the falls are very beautiful but we thought it was called Soochipara, anyway our Wayanad trip was one of the most memorable.
I visited this place once. Photography not covered the main areas.
these is my native place
I had been there two times. The place is worth to see. It makes us speechless inside.
i am like environment, environment protect, human right and world pease.
Self and wife have climbed edakallu caves 3 years ago .The rocky protrusions need a lot of care while climbing .Infact we were discouraged by the visitors we met lower down.This made us all the more determined to make it and we made it.I was 72 and my wife 65 then.We were particular because kannada film EDAKALLU GUDDADA MELE was videod here.Well, actuals and settings are quite different.The place is lovely and worth a visit.
VISWANATHA from BENGALURU
now no jeep service, you have to trek 1 km to reach the base of the cave. but it’s worth.
thx a lot sonia.Its really wonderful caves.and let the world know that india,especially kerala v have such beautiful picnic spot..
wow very beautiful.
wow beautiful.
Departmental jeeps are now not available for the initial few kilometres.They have discontinued this since 01 03 2011, it is learnt, but no notices are exhibited anywhere creating confusion and difficultws fot the visitors.
further to my impressions sent earlier it is to be stated that EDAKALLU is shortened form of ERADUKALLU which in KANNADA Means TWO STONES forming
the roof ,which information was given by a local guide
N.VISWANATHA from BENGALURU
super place maaa…
beautiful accommodation
Nice to see the photos, Last year May 2010 we visit this place. we stay in Wayanad & take a Tempo traveler to visit this place.Nice remembrance. Thanks.
Outstanding information!
i have visited this place 8 years back , then there was no commercial establishments , now it is a commercial place, a old written title is thre in caves, saying 1000 tiges had been killed by King…like that , it is not mentined in this article. i like dis place.
thanks for sending such beatiful pix
We had a glorious culture even 800 years back….Unfortunately, the Kerala Tourism Department makes very little effort to encash such tourist attractions.
The Mother Goddess Earth has her beauty in each and very part for of Earth. Beautiful photographs thanks for sending.
Wowwwwwwwwwwww
woesome.
Edakkal caves is one place among 34 spots in Wayanad , Edakkal caves need semi trekking, But is a dry place but interesting for those who are interested n history , Chembra peak is another wonderfull place in wayanad . Pozuthana village is another scenic village in wayanad