More than just beaches: The rock art of Kerala

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is on the rain-shadow side of the Western Ghats in Kerala, further east from the rolling tea gardens of Munnar, and just beyond the ancient town of Marayoor. This entire region is a prehistoric treasure trove: in 1974, a Kerala state archaeologist S. Padmanabhan Thampi discovered a ‘cluster of ancient caves’ in this valley, noted for ‘rock paintings and burial chambers’ – dolmens or ‘muniyaras‘ in Malayalam. The findings were historic. The burial chambers dated back to nearly 100 BCE, while the rock paintings went back even further, to the Mesolithic Period (between 10,000 to 400 BCE). Archaeologist Nihildas N.’s PhD thesis suggests that the various megalithic sites and rock shelters in this part of Kerala cover a time period between 4,000 BCE-1,000 CE, with the paintings showing a gradual cultural evolution in form as well as in their depictions.

The megalithic burial sites inside the sanctuary

Inside Chinnar, the Madathala site is one of the more easily accessible rock art sites. A 2 km walk from the Alampetti forest post beyond a few scattered muniyaras – so called because of the prevailing belief that sages lived in them – the Madathala site sits on the precipice of a cliff that faces east. Here, there are two separate sets of paintings. The first is a faded impression of a wild boar in a vine trap – something not visible to us at first sight, as the painting had faded away significantly. The second set is much more visible, and features the outlines of two sambar deer. Nihildas’s thesis mentions a third sambar calf, which wasn’t immediately clear to us.

The rock painting of the Sambar deer

A little further to the first site is another rock shelter, where an anthropomorphic figure is similarly sketched in red ochre with a curious object, which historians suggest may be a honey-collecting device. ‘Local tribes still practice collecting honey from the cliffs by using natural rope and bamboo platforms,’ Nihildas writes.

The second set of rock paintings showing what could be a honey-collecting device

In both these sites, conservation of the rock paintings remains an issue. A bamboo palisade stops visitors from touching the rocks, but natural decay due to sunlight, and human vandalism – evident with the traces of plastic bottles littered on the path – is evident. Our guide told us that there was a larger set of rock paintings in Vayumala, but that was a longer trek – 5 hours, as we later found out.

The rock shelter

The rock art sites in Madathala are only a small sample of the vast historical trove in this region. There are 24 other sites that historians have recorded, including the more famous ones in Ezhuthala and Attala. This is besides the many megalithic burial sites that have been uncovered in Kovilikadavu, just outside of Marayoor.

To see these rock paintings in Marayoor was a moment of revelation. Those who painted them were among the first artists, the first storytellers. They were the seeds of culture, of imagination, and everything that came afterwards: gods, religion, folk tales, myths and legends. To stand in their presence was to go back to the genesis – not the biblical, mythical one, but a real moment in history, when a human being thought the sambar deer and the pigs he hunted, and the honey he collected, deserved to be remembered by posterity.

Travel guide: Marayoor is about 45 kms from Munnar, ahead of the highway from Eravikulam National Park. The easiest way to reach would be to book a taxi from Munnar (approx INR 2,000) for the whole day. Chinnar wildlife sanctuary is 5 km ahead of Munnar. Tickets to view the dolmens and the rock paintings are available at Alampatti Post at Rs. 150 per head. It’s a two-hour walk, so plan accordingly.

Travel tip: If possible, trek up to Vayumala inside Chinnar sanctuary (this is a much-longer trek, and can take up to the whole day). Carry enough water and sun protection. Wear hiking boots. Chinnar Sanctuary holds several species endemic to the Western Ghats, like the Grizzled Giant Squirrel. Practise responsible travel; don’t leave trash behind.