March 24, 2012
As he drives us towards Ambukuthi hills that house the famous Edakkal caves, Subair briefs us on the real estate situation in the area. Around 5 years ago, land was a cheap Rs. 6000 per cent. Today it costs up to 1 to 1.5 lakhs. People from Kozhikode, Malappuram and Thalassery are buying up plots on which they are building homes geared towards tourist homestay business. This will soon become the backbone of Wayanad economy. Given that the land has its own distinct beauty during the monsoons and a invitingly cold winter, visitors are bound to rush here round the year. No price for guessing how beautiful the land will remain after being packed with ugly cookie cutter concrete homes!
Subair revealed that he is the president of the taxi drivers association. This gives his vehicle some special privileges. He drove us nearly half way up the narrow hill road startling the groups of visitors who seemed already tired by the climb. Thanks to Subair, who seemed to honk and acknowledge every single shopkeeper on the road, we were dropped off at least a kilometer uphill from the regular parking area. From here, we joined the hundreds on their way to the cave at the late morning hour. The groups were predominantly all male IT professionals, both Tamilian and Kannadiga. There were college kids too. The usual leering and hushed jeering at female visitors aplenty. The extra large cameras too. The unmistakable smell of hard liquor.
I had read quite a bit about the Edakkal caves that made me rather excited about the visit. But not a single write-up mentioned the arduous climb. Not expecting such a climb made it even tougher. I am not talking about hardcore adventurous trekking here. This is a monotonous climb up a sloping road, followed by hundreds of steps inside the caves. As most of the panting, puffing, half way turning back IT crowd testifies, it is high time the nature of the climb is mentioned online and also at the entry point.
When we were at Munnar, there were strict warnings posted at View Point against people will heart condition or blood pressure venturing down the valley and back up. I guess that was because the location is owned privately by Tata Tea. Edakkal caves is Archeological Survey of India and Dept of Tourism property. Hence no warning. Free for all. Come with your weak heart. Die near the cradle of Kerala's civilization. As recently as last month, a bank officer had died before reaching the second cave. Utterly irresponsible behavior from the authorities continues.
We were greeted by a long wait at the narrow opening that serves as the entrance to the cave. A seemingly endless line of visitors were come out. It look nearly five minutes. By the time, the watchman had to whistle a restless foreigner lady down a couple of times as she attempted to shuffle past those coming back. Finally, we make it in.
The first cave is capacious. To the left is a flat platform that nowadays serves as a photo op location but I assume once upon a time formed the stage for rituals. These caves, I was told by the guard at the entrance, were formed as the result of an earthquake around 30,000 years ago. The clean cut of the rock faces from which big pieces have fallen agree with that story. The "religious" story talks about none other than Krishna shooting an arrow up the hill and breaking the mountain. The arrow hit is what lends the name "Ambukuthi" to the hill.
The flat area has a rock wall separating it from a water storage area behind it. We climb through this area to exit the first cave. I hardly had any time to look around for any inscriptions or petroglyphs in this cave. I presume this cave served as a guarding point for the higher caves.
The steep flight of stairs that lead out and up from cave 1, turn abruptly at one point and disappear. The sight that greets us is overwhelming. Breathtaking is an understatement. Nearly entire eastern region of Wayanad district is visible from here. A terrific vantage point for all the cultures that inhabited this area from 7 or 8 thousand years ago.
Another steep 50 steps or so bring us to the mouth of the famous cave, the petroglyphs gallery. There is plenty of flat area outside the mouth of this cave from where an even more magnificent view of the table land below is possible. A rusty blue notice boards informs that trekking to the peak of Ambukuthi is now prohibited.
I halted a few minutes taking in the view and waiting for Achan and uncle to catch up. Achan looked fine at the end of the climb but uncle was visibly shaken. He hadn't expected such a effort. He was glad that he quite smoking some years ago.
It is perhaps from living in sparsely populated vast land of Texas or perhaps from an innate flaw in my imagination, whenever I visualize places I have never been too, I stupidly completely discount the presence of other people. When it comes to places like Edakkal caves, such faulty imagination leads to shocking revelations. Inspired by the photos I have seen in books and online, I was prepared to be greeted by the stunning glory of the petroglyphs that cover the walls of the huge cave. Instead, I stood in silence assaulted by the deafening chatter, laughing and shouting of nearly one hundred youngsters who had lined up wall to wall posing for photos in front of the petroglyphs.
This crowd meant my pilgrim's progress of examining the petroglyphs was slow. May be that was a good thing. The cave is named "Edakkal" because of the massive rock (kal) that forms the roof by getting stuck between (eda) two parallel rock faces. The gaps this rock roofing provides leads to a surreal lighting of the cave. It must be absolutely gorgeous on full moon nights. Add to that the flickering of flame torches and right there I could imagine our forefathers dancing the night away 6000 years ago.
The recurring wheel pattern and swastika like symbols on the walls have led to a theory about sun worship prevalent among the first cultures who occupied these caves. But I think it is better to go by the continuing traditions of the Kurichyar and other tribes who inhabit the area. There is a tradition called "Narikuthu" which involves the killing of tigers and leopards that cause panic locally. The predator is caught using a net and then speared to death ritually after being tied to a bamboo structure called "narikandi".
During the "Narikuthu" ceremonies even today, the preceding deity is a certain "Mudiyambilli". The name "Mudiyambilli" is a corruption of "Mudiyon puli" which means the destroyer of tigers and leopards. An inscription that was read by Dr. Hultzch who headed the Madras Eppigraphy dept in 1896 as "Palpulithanandakari". In later research, this has been rectified as "Pala puli than anthakari" meaning the "the finisher of many tigers". It is obvious that a tiger cult revolved around these caves since time immemorial. Once we know this theory, the numerous stripe like engravings on the rock face gather a wild significance.
The male and female figures in the petroglyphs are minimally represented using mostly straight lines and triangles. Most of them appear to be wearing feather crowns. These engravings are said to resemble those found at Susa in Iraq. The representation of hunters with dogs point to the connection between the ancient dwellers of these caves and the present Mullukurumbar tribes who use trained dogs as hunting partners.
Later inscriptions found in the cave indicate Buddhist and Hindu occupation. A primitive Pali inscription supposedly from emperor Asoka's time reads "Sakamunerverakohudanam" which Kesari Balakrishna Pilla interpreted as "Sakya Muni Overako bahudanam" with Sakya Muni being Buddha and Overa being the cave donated as prayer hall. Dr. Hultzch has also identified a Sanskrit inscription from 3rd century BC that reads "Shri Vishnu Varmanaha Kudumbia Kulavardhanasya Likhitha." The Kudumbia dynasty is believed to have ruled Wayanad between 3rd century BC and 5th century AD and are considered predecessors of 'Kurumba' tribe of today. There are other inscriptions in the cave in primitive Kannada as well.
Edakkal caves were rediscovered by the British administrator, Fosset, who was in charge of Wayanad. He led an expedition in 1896 with the help of Paniyars and Mullukurumbars to the cave which was a pilgrim spot for Malaya Chetti people. Kurumbars had an inexplicable fear at that time about these caves. Displaying incredible scientific acumen, Fosset conducted excavations clearing the rock dust that had accumulated at the bottom of the cave and discovered several carving implements from the paleolithic and neolithic period. The stellar research done by Fosset and others like Dr. Hultzch way back in 1890s is pretty much still what we have as authority information. Of course, in a land of engineers and doctors which idiot will be interested in pursuing fields like history and anthropology. Haven't we outsourced that to quack spiritual gurus and fundamentalist politicians of the land?
Remnants of the rock dust cleared by Fosset over a century ago continue to rise from the Edakkal cave floor as Adidas and Reeboks trample over carrying faces with visible disillusionment. "Yeh dekhne ke liya itna upar aaya, yaar?" (We climbed all the way up to see this!) remarks a young man wiping the sweat of his nose. I wonder what reward show he expected for the climb.
At the far end of the cave, a narrow, hardly one feet wide gap stretches almost all the way to the bottom. Through this gap, villages like Kuppakolli in the valley 4000 feet below are clearly visible. I wonder how many have slipped to their deaths into this gap. An iron gate stands guard these days. A flickering torch shown at this opening would have easily gathered, for the villagers of Kuppakolli centuries ago, the divine aura associated with Sabarimala's Makaravillakku light these days!
Despite the crowd, the movement and the noise, there is an unnerving calmness, if there is such a thing, about this cave. Poet ONV's famous lines "Aadi ushasandhya poothathivide, aadi sargathalamarnathivide" (Here the primoridal dusk and dawn flowere, here the primitive creative forces garnered rhythm) came to mind. The men and women who chiseled these rocks were artists before art was born. Through simple straight lines, they etched their life's drama in this natural theater when life was almost all action and less talk. In this magnificent setting, they measured their lives in the rituals that celebrated the triumphs over the omnipresent cruel predatory nature. Here, leaders were forged. Here, creativity was created. Close your eyes and don't you hear the sound of the stone axe etching history on the immortal rocks one hammering at a time...a sound that reverberates in the valleys and echoes in the hills and proclaims to the surrounding, scary wildness: I am human and I will leave my mark!
After about 40 minutes in the cave, we climbed down in a respectful silence. A family of monkeys were providing entertainment for those waiting to go up. Couple of middle aged men in "mundu" ask us if there is anything worth going up. "If you are interested in history, it is worth it, otherwise it is just a steep, tiring climb!" my uncle told them. They turned back.
We stop at the first shop on the way down for tender coconuts. First hand experience again of the incredible restorative and rejuvenating capacity of tender coconuts. I buy some home-made chocolate. The high quality of cocoa grown in Wayand impresses in every bite. A bunch of young ladies, possibly in their mid twenties, already tired on the way up, also ordered tender coconuts. One of them spoke decisively on her cellphone, "Apni beech bathein ho chuki hain. It is over, ok? Please tum mujhe ab call math karo" (We have had our talk. It is over, ok? Please don't call me again!) A telephonic break up enroute Edakkal caves. I am glad the folks who lived and carved up there milinea ago did not give up so easily. We are lucky that they didn't have it so easy!
To reiterate in closing. Please be aware of the steep and tiring climb required to reach these remarkable witness to human history. Please be ready for hundreds and hundreds of youngsters who will visit, especially if it is a weekend or holiday in Karnataka, and potentially take away some shine from your experience.
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