ഇടക്കൽ ഗുഹകൾ

Edakkal - Edakkal Caves

Useful Information

Location:	At Ambalavayal. 12 km from Sultan Bathery, Ambukuthi Hills, Wayanad district.
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Classification:	Cave Church
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Address:	Edakkal Hermitage, Wayanad, Kerala 673592, Mobile: +91-98470-01491, +91-94472-62570, Tel: +91-4936 221860, Tel: +91-4936 260123. Camp: +91-4936-261178. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1894	discovered by F. Fawcett, former Superintendent of Police whilst exploring the Wayanad Mountains.

Description

The two caves located at a height of 1000 m on Ambukutty Mala near Ambalavayal and can only be accessed via by a 1 km trek trail from Edakkal. Edakkal literally means 'a stone in between'. It is a prehistoric rock shelter formed naturally by three huge boulders one of which rests upon the other two, forming the roof.

The Edakkal rock art is equal to any prehistoric cave paintings in Europe. The paintings include stars, bows, knives, palms etc. together with drawings of human and animal figures with peculiar head-dresses and swastika forms and other geometric symbols.

Text by Tony Oldham (2003). With kind permission.

In the case of Edakkal Caves the plural is justified, as there are two caves. Both are tectonic caves formed by the erosion. At the top of a mountain, caused by the steep walls of said mountain a huge block started to move.