By Akshara and Sree Lekshmi J

Places have always fascinated mankind. Travelling and exploring new realms of freedom has added beauty and tranquility to human experiences. From the  time of antiquity men loved jaunts and it was more-often a time for them to be free from their busy schedules of life. Different places have different stories to tell .The vibe and ambience provided by places vary from one to another .Travelling actually matures a man it is always exciting and fascinating to be around new set of completely different people ,custom and culture.

It was a very pleasant experience to be at the two Natural caves of Wayanad district-Edakkal Caves. The caves are situated 1200m above sea level on Ambukuttu Mala in the Western Ghats. The name ‘Edakkal’ literally means ‘a stone in between .Here one can actually witness a cave formed by a heavy boulder straddling a fissure in a rock. This cave is famous for its pictorial cave paintings. The guide told us that this place is believed to be the habitat of Neolithic men.

                                                        The very site of the place astonished me. These caves show us the nature’s skill in architecture. The place offers a combination of beauty, adventure and trecking. Edakkal caves is the only place in India with cravings dated back to stone age. There is a long way to walk to the cave from the parking area. We had to climb enormous no of steps to reach the top. First it seemed a bit challenging. The view from the top was worth enough for a life time joy. It was a stepping in to the bygone era. The monkeys at the hills were busy enjoying and posing at the tourists camera. On the way there were several bamboo benches to relax. The stairs were also carved out of stones. The cold wind blew away all the tiredness of the journey. There are many stories existing behind the formation of the caves. This place has drawn great attention for the tourists, archaeologists and historians. The inscriptions and drawings on the rock show cased the talents of the ancient people. It is a best place to get in touch with nature. There was an iron railing to protect the stone cravings. Even photography was prohibited due to some reason. The trip was both thrilling and informative. In a trip to wayanad edakkal caves is a place worth visiting.