The Wayanad Heritage Museum, also known as Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, is famed for one of the state’s largest and most detailed collections of artefacts. Collections here date back as far as the 2nd century BCE. The museum is divided into four sections, and each boasts a unique collection of artefacts that will make your trip to Kerala a fantastic historical endeavour.
The Four Sections Of The Wayanad Heritage Museum
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The Wayanad Heritage Museum is divided into four sections or four blocks.
The Veerasmruthi:
The Veerasmruthi block includes Veerakkallu, also known as Veerghal. These are pictorial rock edicts that detail the lives, triumphs, and battles of famous brave warriors. It often provides a mini-biography of the warrior. These Veerakkallu commemorate the heroic deeds of the warriors. These Hero stones, as they are called, are important archaeologically, as they help decipher the language, script, and traditions of an ancient era.
The Gothrasmruthi and Jeevanasmruthi:
The Gothrasmruthi and Jeevansmruthi blocks provide information related to articles associated with tribal life. Items on display in these two sections include tribal artefacts, such as tribal dresses and clothes, weapons, musical instruments, festival attire, daily-use objects, jewellery, and essentials.
The Devasmruthi:
The Devasmruthi section chronologically dates ancient artefacts from the Neolithic period to the 17th century. One of the biggest sections of the museum, this block is of immense interest to history and archaeology affectionadoes, as well as researchers and students of both fields. The artefacts preserved in this block include terracotta figurines from Malabar, stone idols from the 12th century CE and much more.
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What Is The Heritage Museum Famous For?
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The Wayanad Heritage Museum is particularly well known for its largest collection of artefacts. While certain artefacts keep on cyclically rotating between the museum circuit, the fixed artefacts are especially lauded. The Wayanad Heritage Museum is also famous for its multimedia manner of presentations to disseminate information. It uses short films, and audio transcripts to increase interest. The museum is managed by the District Tourism Promotion Council, as well as the Archaeological Survey of India.
With artefacts dating back to the 2nd century. The museum’s collections are highly coveted and rare. The artefacts found in Wayanad also offer proof of the existence of an evolved and established ancient civilisation that existed in the land once upon a time, aeons ago. The Heritage Museum also offers a Multi-Media Theatre and a Reference Library within its premises. These two are open to all and are preferred for researchers and students due to their extensive information database.
Location
The Wayanad Heritage Museum is located at Ambalavayal, in Kerala, 673593, India. Ambalavayal is 12 km south of Sulthan Bathery in the Wayanad district, in Kerala.
The museum is located on the Government Hospital Road. As you near it, there are signs in both, English, as well as Malayalam correctly pointing you towards the museum. The museum can be reached by road easily. By bus, you can reach Kalpetta from all the nearby major cities.
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Tips To Keep In Mind
The Wayanad Heritage Museum is open from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm from Monday to Sunday. It is recommended that you check whether the museum is open if you are visiting on public holidays. The ticket prices are 50 Rupees per person for Adults. If you want to carry still cameras, the museum asks for an additional fee of 50 Rupees.
The best time to visit the museum is during the winter season. The winter season in Wayanad runs from the months of October to February. The weather is cool, and the dry season allows you to visit around with ease. The temperatures range from around 15° Celsius to 25° Celsius. You can also visit in the spring season. Spring begins in March and continues until May. The plants are lush and the flowers are in full bloom, making for a mesmerising and picturesque scene in Wayanad.
Places To Visit Near The Museum
There are several places you can visit near the Wayanad Heritage Museum. Some of the most popular places near the Museum include:
M S Swaminathan Botanical Garden
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Adjacent to the Wayanad Heritage Museum is a beautifully curated, well-maintained Botanical Garden. This botanical garden is famous for its unique variety of plants, including flowering and fruiting trees, plants of medicinal variety, and plants which are endangered. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is another great place nearby which you can visit. The sanctuary is well known for being a home to the Asian Elephants and Tigers. Comprising about 344 square kilometres of land, the area has four ranges. These ranges are Sulthan Bathery, Muthanga, Kurichiat and Tholpetty.
The Edakkal Caves
Another great place to visit near the Wayanad Heritage Museum is the Edakkal Caves. At about a distance of 5 and a half kilometres away, the caves are nearby to the Wayanad Heritage Museum, and reachable within 15 minutes by road, if you take the Kolagappara – Ambalavayal Road. These ancient secluded caves are one of the oldest human settlements ever discovered. The name is a misnomer, as the Edakkal caves are not actually caves, but a prehistoric rock shelter formed by a boulder which got wedged between two other stone structures. The oldest inscriptions in the Edakkal Caves date back to 6000 BCE, an astounding historical record. Artefacts found here have been stored in the Wayanad Heritage Museum.
Further Read: Best Museums in Kerala
Now that you have a list of things to keep in mind for your next trip to Kerala, make sure you plan your trip to Kerala to these fabulous spots for the experience of a lifetime. Don’t miss out on these opportunities and book your tickets now!
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Cover Image Credit: Vinayaraj for Wikimedia Commons
Frequently Asked Questions About Wayanad Heritage Museum
How much time will be required to cover the Wayanad Heritage Museum?
You can cover the museum in about 2 to 3 hours. If you are going there on a history trip, or for research, you can plan the trip with a visit to other historical spots of importance nearby, and make a weekend trip out of it.
What to wear in Kerala?
It’s recommended that you wear lightweight, breathable cotton clothes that will protect you from the Sun. It gets humid and hot in Kerala, so carry around water and sunscreen. Carry around mosquito repellents as well. Wear comfortable footwear in which you can walk long distances.
What are some tourist attractions in Kerala?
The Kerala Backwaters, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Tea Gardens, The Tharangini House Boat, Munnar hill station, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Folklore Museum, and Varkala Beach are some of the great places to visit in God’s Own Country, Kerala.
What is the Climate in Kerala like?
Kerala has a tropical wet and maritime climate throughout the year, with heavy seasonal rains. The best time to visit is in winter and to avoid the heavy rains in the monsoon months.
How many days are sufficient to cover Wayanad?
Wayanad has much to offer to you. A trip of 3 to 4 days is necessary to cover the highlights of what Wayanad offers. Apart from the Wayanad Heritage Museum, there are several other spots you can visit as well. If you want to enjoy a relaxing vacation, one week is enough to cover Wayanad.
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