Wilderness Walks & Nature Trails

Edakkal Caves is an enchanting site with archaeological importance at Sulthan Bathery. It’s known for its mystic rock formation and ancient drawings and engravings. And these petroglyphs are some of the earliest examples of human writing and expression.

Edakkal means “a stone in between.” And this cave-like rock shelter is formed by a massive boulder wedged between two bigger boulders. It’s believed to exist for over 8,000 years now..

Edakkal Caves' story is shrouded in mystery. As per the legends, the caves were formed because of Luv and Kush – sons of Lord Rama. It’s said that their arrows split a large rock into two, thus forming this narrow passage. The earliest Edakkal Caves carvings are believed to be from the neolithic era (the Stone Age), as early as 6000 BCE. The latest carvings are from around 1000 BCE. These carvings were discovered only recently, in the 19th century. Fred Fawcett, a police official of the erstwhile Malabar state, found these during one of his hunting trips.