Sultan's Battery: Gateway to Karnataka state

Sultan Bathery, previously known as Sultan's Battery, is a town in the Malabar region of Kerala, India. The town in olden days served as a military post of Tipu Sultan and the Sultan had a battery placed here, hence the name Sultan Battery. The town was previously called Hennaradu Peedike (Twelve Shops). The town is at an altitude of 930 meters. The place is famous for its Jain temple. Sultan Bathery is almost centrally located between Mysore and Kozhikode. Sultan Bathery is the biggest transport hub of Wayanad district. It is located near the border with the Karnataka state. There is a major Kerala Transport Depot in Sultan Battery. Most of the long distance buses to Kozhikode, Ooty and Bangalore start from this depot. The town also has two smaller bus stations for local travellers. Main attaractions include: Bathery St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral (Chungam, 1 km from the center of town). The oldest Malankara Orthodox Christian settlement began in the 1915's. Edakkal Caves are a cleft about 96 ft long and 22 ft wide in the rock. It is a fissure made by a corner of rock splitting off from the main Entrance to Edkal Cavesbody due to some natural causes. The depth of both the cleft and the fissure is 30 ft. What makes it a cave to the ordinary observer is the fact that in the other portion of the large cleft, an enormous rock, weighing several tonnes, has fallen forming a roof over a large part of it. The rock wall contains some interesting carvings, which represent human and animal figures and objects of human use and symbols. These carvings speak of a highly civilized people of pre-historic age and inspires the archaeologists and historians to rewrite the history of Wayanad and Kerala as a whole. The caves are now accessible now with steep but strong steps. Then there is the Jain Temple (Chandranatha Swamy). The temple is believed to be built in the 13th century was a place of commerce and worship until Tipu Sultan made it his military hangout where he placed a battery and hence the name Sultan Battery.