 Rocks and caves have always remained fascinating natural aspects to lovers of nature. Kerala is a tourist destination that will surely cater to the taste of outdoor enthusiasts because of the exciting prospect of exploring the rocks and caves here. Many of these have been used as shrines and shelters, and evoke memories of the distant past.
Many of these caves feature rock-cut art and paintings. The Edakkal cave is assumed to be 5000 years old. The cave has two levels, a lower chamber that measures about 18 X 12 X 10 feet and can be entered through an opening 5 feet wide. Just opposite the entrance is a passage that leads to a small opening on the roof. It is through this opening that you can climb up to the next level 96X22X18 ft in size. There is a big gap at the right hand corner of the roof through which light enters the cave. The cave was founded by Fred Fawcett, superintendent of Malabar police en route on a hunting trip to Wayanad. He identified the site as a habitat of Neolithic people on the basis of the nature of representations of paintings and sculptures on the walls of the cave. The other famous caves in Kerala are:
Vizhinjam temple caves - The Vizhinjam caves are now protected under the National Archeology Survey Department of India. Built in the 8th century, the granite cave here encloses a one celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinadhara Dakshinamurthi. The sculpture on the outer walls of the caves depicts a half completed figure of the Hindu god Shiva with his wife Paravathi.
|
