Dark rain clouds hover above as we trudge up a wide cemented path through lush coffee plantations on one side of the Ambukuthimala. The mountain lying in the heart of Wayanad is more than 1,300 metres above sea level and conceals a treasure of invaluable archaeological riches. Up in the mountain lies a rock shelter with carvings that are thousands of years old and is believed to be one of the oldest known human settlements on planet earth — Edakkal caves.
For now there is only a slight drizzle, but it won’t stay that way for long as the surroundings grow darker with each passing minute. Shopkeepers tighten blue tarpaulin sheets that cover stalls selling eats, from piping hot noodles and bread-omelette to snacks like honey-soaked gooseberries and packaged chips. Although the road is paved, the climb is arduous and travellers drain large glasses of fresh lime sodas in a matter of seconds.
The view of the green Wayanad landscape from the top
We trek up the road, along with the crowd, moving past large trees, boulders and even a resort. Macaque calls and birdsong are often heard. Other than that there are no traces of any other wildlife. After the ticket counter, the path narrows, the number of boulders increase and large coffee plants, dripping raindrops, tower above on either side. At one point, a flight of steep stone steps go up from the path into the boulder formation some 50 feet above. Another flight of steps with hand rails, a steel one, goes up through the vegetation to the left. That is the way down from the caves while coming back.
A gap between the rocks is the way into the first cave. Lit only by the cold monsoon light streaming in through the gaps, the cave interior looks exquisite. Youngsters go on a selfie spree. But there were no carvings to be found on the rock faces. Our guide Sooraj points to a spot on a flat rock and there it is - vague carvings on the rock that are too faint for the naked eye to identify.
Ancient petroglyphs found in Edakkal caves
The main cave, however, lies a 100 ft further up. Flights of steel steps lead through the gap between the rocks at the other end of the cave. Passing through magnificent rock formations, the steps lead out into the open, offering a view of the misty green mountain face on one side and the spectacular rain-drenched landscape of Wayanad on the other. It’s a sharp ascent up the steps from there and the clouds burst without warning as we start our final climb to the top. The rain-cover for my camera was turning out to be a life saver.
A human figure with a headgear
We wait for a while under the shade of a large rock for the rain to subside and then head towards the historical treasure trove awaiting us above. A steel gate is the way in. A large crowd is assembled inside the cave, thanks to the rain. The space, which is huge, is in fact not a cave but a cleft formed by the two large rock boulders. “The rock above is believed to have fallen and got stuck into the gap due to an earthquake thousands of years ago,” says Saji, one of the guards stationed at the cave.
There, on the rock faces of the two large boulders that form the cleft, were slices of life from a lost time. Intricate drawings of various kinds, ranging from figures with headgear and dancing figures to animals and tools, have all been etched into granite surfaces. Saji points out to me the figure of an elephant from between a group of shapes, which one would surely miss without proper directions. Some of these petroglyphs are as old as 7,000 years old, belonging to the neolithic period. There are also inscriptions, some yet to be deciphered, in ancient scripts. A large one on the left boulder, Saji says, roughly translates to: “The slayer of many tigers and the protector of his people”. The cave is believed to have been occupied at different periods in history by folks who lived in those eras.
The sky is darkening again and it was time to leave. As we go down the stairs, rain clouds crowd above us while, faraway, portions of the vast landscape visible from the top is spectacularly lit by the sun breaking through the overcast sky, revealing features that we missed on the first sight.
The discovery
Long back there were no shops or roads here. One fine day in 1895, Fred Fawcett, the Superintendent of Police for Malabar region, was on a hunting tour to the plantation and nearby jungle when he stumbled upon some ancient stone tools. Being an archaeology enthusiast, the finding fired him up. After making enquiries with the locals, Fawcett decided to explore the upper reaches of the mountain which led to the remarkable discovery of a cave made up of three large boulders and carvings rockfaces.
What’s in a name
One rock is stuck between other two creating a shelter beneath it. The name ‘Edakkal’ literally refers to that formation. ‘Eda’ means between in malayalam and ‘kal’ means rock.
(The writer was at Edakkal at the invitation of Kerala Tourism and Wayanad Tourism Organisation )
