The Chain Tree of Lakkidi, Wayanad

The legendary Chain Tree of Lakkidi is a large ficus tree standing by the wayside at this beautiful tourist spot in Wayanad around 15kms from Kalpetta. The tree, which stands at the end of the ghat section of the road that leads to Wayanad from Calicut, is bound by a chain and has an interesting story behind it.

Local lore has it that a tribal youth named Karinthandan was instrumental in guiding a British engineer to reach Wayanad from Adivaram, the base area from where the climb to Wayanad starts. The British rulers were attracted by the natural beauty of Wayanad and the wealth of spices available there. But getting there was near to impossible. There were no roads. Several attempts were made to cut roads through the rugged mountain passes, but to no avail.

The native tribesmen who lived in the forests knew the mountainous terrain well, and one of their youths Karinthandan showed the British engineer the shortest route to reach Wayanad. But after learning the route and eager to take credit for the discovery, the British engineer killed the youth, so says the legend. The spirit of the dead youth used to haunt the place, waylaying travelers and terrifying them to death, especially unwary foreigners who happened to pass along.

It is believed that a Hindu priest conducted some rituals and chained the ghost to the ficus tree. The tree has grown considerably since then. Local people believe that the chain keeps growing with the tree. You can still find a heavy iron chain dropping down from the high branches of the tree and anchored to the ground. A tiny shrine has been erected where the chain is anchored. The Chain Tree is about 42kms from the eco resort; Banasura Hill Resort.