Ambalavayal Heritage Museum

The history and culture of Wayanad is extremely diverse. The city inherits the crux of Keralite heritage and located in one remote part of this place is Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, housing the chronological history in the form of artifacts and scriptures. The museum is ideally situated in the hilly regions of Western Ghats, sheltered with coconut and palm trees, providing cultural and scenic beauty to spellbind you. The museum brings to life centuries-old traditions and heritage. With a number of exhibits dating back to 2nd century AD, the museum can make any historian, archaeologist, or scholar skip a beat. The exhibits shed light on a number of otherwise unresolved issues related to human race and its existence.

Since Wayanad district is geographically secluded from the rest of India because of the Western Ghats; thus, the tribes from this part of Kerala acquire an overall different culture from the rest of India. Evidence indicates that the remains found here belong to a civilization that was somewhat more advanced from any other contemporary civilization. The civilization which once dwelled at this place developed a unique way of living and hence, the cultural heritage and the remains of that civilization are unique in themselves. Since the tribes drew inspiration from nature, most of their motifs and artifacts have the same scheme running throughout.

Ambalavayal Heritage Museum provides viewers a rare chance of witnessing various utensils, weapons, and sculptures, indicative of the tribal people of that era. Another remarkable feature of Ambalavayal Heritage Museum is a series of stone and rock engravings, known as Hero Stones, depicting the lives and feats of ancient warriors. Besides, there are magnificently crafted ethnic headgears present at the museum used by tribal warriors during wars and rituals. Along with them are found excellent samples of pottery.

Visiting Ambalavayal Heritage Museum is like re-living the moments that have frozen in time, reviewing the events and happenings which though took place thousands of years ago, but seem lucidly etched in each and every part of the museum. The museum is highly popular amongst tourists as it is easily accessible throughout the day. The nearest town to this museum is Sulthan Bathery which is about 98 km from Kozhikode. As such, the closest railhead is Kozhikode, while the nearest airport is Cochin International Airport at Karipur, about 120 km from Sulthan Bathery.