Wayanad District
Pristine hill district featuring ancient caves with prehistoric petroglyphs, wildlife sanctuaries, and spice plantations. Home to diverse tribal communities in lush green landscapes with rich biodiversity and eco-tourism.
Area
2,132 sq km
Population
0.8 million
Headquarters
Kalpetta
Economy
Spice cultivation, coffee plantations, eco-tourism, tribal crafts, agriculture, vanilla cultivation
Climate
Pleasant hill climate, cool temperatures, heavy monsoon rainfall, misty weather
Best Time to Visit
October to May for trekking, December to February for ideal weather conditions
History
Wayanad district's history spans millennia, with ancient Edakkal Caves containing prehistoric petroglyphs providing evidence of human settlements from the Stone Age, while the region served as home to diverse tribal communities that developed sophisticated relationships with the Western Ghats ecosystem over thousands of years. The area gained strategic importance during British colonial rule when extensive spice plantations, particularly cardamom, pepper, coffee, and vanilla cultivation, were established throughout the highland plateaus, transforming the landscape while tribal communities adapted to changing economic conditions. Archaeological significance includes the discovery of ancient caves with rock art, stone age implements, and evidence of early human civilization, while the region's tribal heritage encompasses communities like the Mannan, Paliyan, Uraly, and Muthuvan who maintained traditional governance systems including the still-ruling tribal king at Kovilmala near Kattappana under a democratic monarchy. Modern history focuses on wildlife conservation with the establishment of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in 1973 as part of Project Elephant (1991), creating protected corridors connecting Karnataka's Bandipur and Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai reserves, while recent developments include sustainable eco-tourism initiatives that preserve tribal culture and forest ecosystems.
Geography
Wayanad district covers diverse terrain at 700-2,100 meter elevations in the southern Deccan Plateau, characterized by high altitude plateaus, dense valleys and ridges within the Western Ghats mountain range that forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's eight biodiversity hotspots. The 344.44 square kilometer Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala's second-largest, encompasses both North and South divisions with highest tiger population in Kerala (150+ individuals), Asian elephants as part of the world's largest recorded population, and diverse ecosystems including moist deciduous teak forests, semi-evergreen west-coast species, and transition zones between northern dry and southern wet deciduous forests. The mountainous terrain features river valleys carved by tributaries flowing toward both Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, wildlife corridors connecting protected areas across three states, and forest cover supporting 325+ globally threatened species including endangered varieties like lion-tailed macaque, while the cool hill climate with annual rainfall of 2,500mm, temperatures ranging from 10°C in winter to 35°C in summer, and frequent mist creates ideal conditions for spice cultivation, eco-tourism, and wildlife conservation.
Culture
Wayanad's culture is distinguished by its rich tribal heritage, hosting Kerala's largest tribal population with diverse indigenous communities including Paniyas (largest tribal group), Kurubas/Kurumas (skilled basket makers), Adiyans, Kurichiyas (agricultural community), Kattunaikans (forest dwellers), and Ooralis, preserved through En Ooru Tribal Heritage Village - Kerala's first tribal heritage village opened in 2022 featuring 10 prototype tribal huts, tribal markets, and cultural workshops. Traditional cultural expressions include Kurumbar Nritham (wedding dance), Gadhika Dance (Adiya tribe healing ritual), and tribal music with drums and flutes, while the Wayanad Heritage Museum at Ambalavayal houses artifacts including headgear, jewelry, hunting weapons, and musical instruments spanning from Neolithic to 17th century. The district represents a perfect synthesis of tribal conservation traditions with modern eco-tourism, offering visitors authentic experiences through traditional hut stays, tribal performances at 6:00 PM daily, medicinal plant centers, and art workshops that directly benefit over 100 tribal families and 46 tribal staff members, demonstrating successful integration of indigenous culture preservation with sustainable tourism development.