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On a history trail

The Edakkal caves are a must-see for history buffs

IN SEARCH OF HISTORY Edakkal caves

The sun casts its shadow as the path gradually climbs up. To hike up 4,000 feet above sea level is no easy task.

But to reach the Edakkal caves, one of the most important historical sites in India, one has to be unrelenting.

The dry crunchy leaves under your feet, the twitter of birds, the early morning rays and chill, make the trudge to the top of Mount Ambukuthi, an exhilarating one.

The last pull to the top is tiring though as you have to squeeze through gaps in rocks to reach a small dark mouth of a cavern.

Upon reaching the entrance to the cave, the small gap gives you the queasy feeling that you will have to be on all fours throughout the time spent in the cave.

Crisp air

However, your fears come to a rest upon entering the cave. The air is crisp and the cave is spacious enough for you to stand and look around.

The dampness around is the first thing that strikes you. A trickling sound shows a perennial stream. At our guide, Wilson's insistence, we taste the water. Refreshing.

Revitalized, we continue our long haul up to the second cave, our destination.

Even with the flight of stairs cut into the rocks, we found it tough. Wilson continued to inspire us with stories of how octogenarians' made it to the top.

We finally make it to the top and to the opening of a cave. The unassuming entrance leads us to an enthralling sight.

An enormous cave, it is surprisingly bright in here. I soon learn how Edakkal (its literal meaning is `the stone in the middle'). A huge boulder acts as the roof of the cave.

"The rocks might have been split asunder in pre historic times during an earthquake or landslip and the boulder might have fallen then," reasons Wilson.

For the tribals who lived in the Neolithic age, the cave was their abode. They drew their dreams and visions on the rocky walls using sharp stone tools.

The cave was discovered in 1890 when Fred-Fawcett, the then superintendent of police of the Malabar District, stumbled upon it. He identified the site as the abode of Neolithic people.

Carvings on walls

The carvings on the walls show how a chief clad in arms led the people and how they hunted for animals.

Our ancestors apparently travelled in carts as depicted in a drawing of a woman in a cart.

To prevent visitors from doing damage to the carvings, an iron rod separates them from the wall.

Outside the cave, one can see the rolling mountains under the deep blue sky. Down below, a stream gurgles down the rocks. I absorb the scenic beauty and imagine myself as the chief shown on the walls, surveying his small empire and on the lookout for enemies. A trip to the past.

MANU REMAKANTH

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