Kerala's Wayanad district is the perfect setting for a hundred great adventures! With The hills, rocks and valleys which contribute to the very unique terrain of Wayanad provide for exceptional adventure experiences. Mountains and forests intersperse to create numerous outback trails, trekking routes and opportunities for other adventure sports. Tourism is the major non-agricultural income earner for the district Wayanad .There are many places to visit in Wayanad and here’s a quick introduction to some of the most interesting of Wayanad tourist places. With vast areas still unexplored, Wayanad is truly an adventures cape waiting to be discovered! Comprising an area of 2126 sq.km and at a height of 700m to 2100m above sea level , Wayanad has a powerful history. Relics and edicts found in various parts of Wayanad speak of an important prehistoric era. Historians are of the view that organized human life existed in these parts, at least ten centuries before Christ.
History of Wayanad
Wayanad is spread over an area of 2132 sq km and includes three talukas, namely, Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Vythiri. The headquarters of the district is situated at Kalpetta. Wayanad District was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district. It has been formed from the Kozhikode and Kannur districts. ‘Wayanad’ means ‘Land of Paddy Fields’.
Wayanad has a rich history and the hills of Wayanad have several evidences of the New Stone Age civilisation. There are pictures and pictorial writings on the walls of both the caves of Ampukuthimala, which lie between Sulthan Bathery and Ambalavayal, that provide crucial information about the past era and civilisation.
In ancient times, Wayanad was under the rule of the kings of the Veda tribe. Later its control came into the hands of the Pazhassi Rajahs of the Kottayam Royal Dynasty. After becoming the king of Mysore, Hyder Ali invaded this land and brought it under his control. However, it went back to the Kottayam Royal Dynasty during the reign of Tipu Sultan.
Numerous changes were seen in Wayanad, after it came under the British rule. Tea and other cash crops were cultivated in the plateau and roads were also built from Kozhikode and Thalassery, across the risky slopes of Wayanad.
