Yana

Yana
Location: India>Karnataka>Karwar

Nearest Towns: Sirsi, Kumta.

Distances:
From Bangalore: 400+ km
From Sirsi: 40 km
From Kumta: 25 km

Route: From Bangalore you come to Sirsi though Haveri where the major distance of the drive would be on NH4 else from Shimoga route, which is the Bangalore–Honnavar highway.
Route I: Take a bus from Sirsi which goes to mattighatta,devanalli via hegadekatta.Get down at a stop called "vaddi cross" and walk 6+kms from there.
Route II: Take a bus either from sirsi or kumta get down at a place called Anegundi near Kathagaal. This place is after the Devimane ghats if you are coming from Sirsi. From here it is around 16kms walk. Jeep is the best mode of transportation anywhere in North Kanara. You can hire a jeep either in sirsi or anywhere your base camp is and take convenient drives.
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Summary: This place in thickets of the Sahyadri hills of the Western Ghats is around 45 km from Sirsi and about 25 km from Kumta. Two huge rocks are the center of attraction here. There are two temples, temple of Shiva inside a cave and a Ganesha temple nearby. The other places of interest are a small waterfall and the forest itself.
On Haveri route to Sirsi, one would arrived at the place called Vaddi cross. Earlier all the motor able roads would end here and the trek to Yana from here would be 17 km. Now we have roads, which take very close to Yana. The road ends 3 km from Yana. One can start the trek from Vaddi cross. There is well-defined path from here to the Yana used by devotees and trekkers here. After walking 3 km, two gigantic peaks towering around all the forests and mountains will appear, the Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the Mohini Shikhara. These two shikharas are the ones, which have made Yana distinct from other regions in the Sahyadri and have captured the imagination of generations of people. These two peaks are one of the mysteries of the Mother Nature yet to unraveled as two how there are here in the midst of forest terrain. The taller one, Bhairaveshwara Shikhara stands 120 meters and the slightly smaller one, Mohini Shikhara is 90 meters from its base. They are solid composition of black, crystalline limestone. At the base of the Bhairaveshwara shikhara is a cave temple, a natural formation where resides the Lord Shiva . Water drips from the projecting rocks over the linga, and devotees call it Gangodbhava. The cave also has a bronze icon of Chandika, an incarnation of mother Goddess Durga. Trickled from the rocks form a small river, 'Chandihole' which joins the Aghanashini river at Uppinapattana. There is a grand jatra held every year during Shivaratri for 10 days and is attended by around 10,000 people. Devotees are allowed inside the cave only on these days .These peaks have a myth associated with them as to be the place where Lord Vishnu as Mohini killed the Bhasmasura, a rakshasa. One can camp at the temple. Mind you this place is very sacred and the priests have to be notified about using the premises. Infact you are not allowed to walk with the footwear on the whole the Bhairaveshwara shikhara itself is revered and looked upon as Lord Shiva abode. Out of the temple starts out the steps, which lead to the Mohini Shikhara. There is a descent of around 30 to 40 feet. At the foot of the shikhara is Goddess Parvati’s udbhava murti. Here one can find many pitch dark caves and can hear the noise of bats. The rock formations are terrific. A guide is recommended as it is very easy to get lost in this area if we miss a turn. You may take a deviation into the forests and explore. The variety of flora is amazing. You can go around the shikhara and this place is a very good spot for Rock climbing. Many caves are present amongst these rocks and are a very good place for camping. The terrain makes it very difficult to walk in the darkness even with torches as it is very dicey with all the slopes covered by trees and shrubbery. One can camp near the temple and good thing about this place is that it has all the facilities for toilet and water. Next morning, you can go to see the Bhairaveshwara Shikhara, the place that beckons the people to Yana. There is a well charted route to take a pradakskina of the peak which on its own is the pradakshina of the temple as the lord Shiva is sanctified within the peak
After climb for some distance, you come across a huge cave with a opening at the top just enough to allow the light. From the mouth of the cave, you get a panoramic view of Yana forests and is a superb view. We climbed high up the peak as far as possible wherever the effort needed was less. These peaks are swarming with bees. After the peaks, you can pack lunch and go to the Vibhuti Falls. You need to trek back the 3 km to our van and take a ride to the falls. This road is very narrow and winding as it descends down the valley and ends 2 km from the falls. A jungle trail used by people goes to the falls and we took this track and trekked to the falls. This trail is very enchanting as there are agricultural field on the right and the jungle on the left. There is a big water falls of about 20 to 25 ft and a small one of 3 ft. This site is very good for camping and offers some mesmerizing sceneries down the valleys. This river streams forms many such waterfalls on its way down the valley.