India is considered to be the most ancient Culture of human civilization and edakkal Caves is one of those pieces of evidence which tells us the story of human civilization Which started around 8000 BCE or beyond that .
Edakkal Caves is situated 10 km away from the main town , Sulthan Bathery of Wayanad district , Kerala . It is located in Ambukutty hills Which is 1200 m(3900 feet ) above the sea level .
History of Edakkal Caves
Edakkal itself means “ a stone in between “ . This Cave formed in such a natural way that one huge boulder rested on the other two huge boulders . The story behind the formation of the cave is that of the arrow of Love Kush ( the Son of Ram ).
And the second story is of goddess Mudiampilly and Kutti Chathan .
Structure of Edakkal caves :
- The cave is divided into two chambers .
- One is the upper chamber and the second one is the lower chamber.
- The lower chamber is 18 feet long and 12 feet wide while the upper one is 96 feet in length and 22 feet in width .
- To reach the top of the hill , you have to climb 380 steep steps , where you can have a wonderful experience of seeing the beautiful caves .
Fred Fawcett was the person , then the Superintendent police of Malabar district in 1895 , who had discovered the the most ancient Caves during his hunting trip to Wayanad . His discovery of Edakkal caves unearthed many mysteries which seemed to be impossible .
Why is Edakkal Caves so famous ?
The pictorial paintings and stone age carvings make it famous around the world because these are considered to be the most ancient paintings and carvings ever discovered by the archaeology department .
- There are paintings of human beings , vehicles ,birds ,and animals .
- And also the paintings of day to day lifestyle which would have been carried by Neolithic People at that period of time .
- “Neolithic “ word is used by the archeology department to represent the stage of human evolution or cultural Evolution in which the people used to do stone carving or pictorial paintings to teach others about their lifestyle or skills .
The stone age carving can put you in astonishment .
- The carvings on the rocks are considered to be Neolithic Petroglyphs which go around 6000 BC .
- There are some inscriptions written in Tamil or Brahmi languages . There is one particular carving which is considered to be the most fascinating is “ a man with a jar “ . There is also a carving of Adam and Eve .
After analyzing these carvings one thing is sure that these people were highly skilled because carvings on rocks is not an easy task to do . You need different kinds of tools to carve on rocks .
You may also read about pottery of Indus civilization :👇
Pottery of Indus valley civilization
Just carving is not the only reason for archaeologists’ surprise or the greatness of this Edakkal Caves but the burial site which has been discovered there , where many ancient earthenware and pottery came into existence which later shifted into Wayanad Heritage museum.
These burial sites or some carvings indicate the linkage between Indus Valley Civilization and these Neolithic people .
Threat to Edakkal Caves
Illegal Construction
Though 5.5 acre Of land around the Edakkal Caves is protected and any kind of construction is strictly banned within the 300 metre radius of the premises .
However there are many illegal Resort construction going on near to edakkal Caves . Also there are construction of three check dams on the hill slope which pose a serious threat to the native people and surroundings .
2. Blasting of rocks
There are many blocks of rocks which are in a collapsing Condition due to the impact of rampant blast going on at the nearby granite Quarries .
These granite Quarries are becoming one of the biggest threats to the Edakkal Caves . These historical sites need to be protected otherwise we will lose this kind of treasury which shows the greatness of our country or the evolution of human civilization .
Frequently asked questions ( FAQ )
Time to visit Edakkal Caves ?
The time to visit Edakkal Caves is between 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. But the most popular time to visit Edakkal Caves is between 11 am to 12 Pm . An average time a person needs to go through Edakkal Caves is around 2 to 3 hours .
What is the entry fees to visit Edakkal Caves ?
For the entry of adults , the charge is 20 rs , for child 10 rs each , for foreigners 40 rupees , and for a person who wants videography needs to pay 100 Rupees .
What is the importance of Edakkal caves ?
The pictorial paintings and stone age carvings make it famous around the world because these are considered to be the most ancient paintings and carvings ever discovered by the archaeology department .
What is written in Edakkal Caves ?
There are paintings of human beings , vehicles ,birds ,and animals .And also the paintings of day to day lifestyle which would have been carried by Neolithic People at that period of time . “Neolithic “ word is used by the archeology department to represent the stage of human evolution or cultural Evolution in which the people used to do stone carving or pictorial paintings to teach others about their lifestyle or skills .
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