In the Sahyadri Hills of North Karnataka, Yana is a quaint Hill Station with a beauty that casts a spell and hills to appeal to the direst trekkers. Tucked in between one of the richest biodiversity centres of the world, Yana is a small hill station with immense beauty enough to captivate any soul that lays eyes on it. A small village located just 140 km from Hubli; Yana caves is famous as a centre of adventure, wildlife and religion hence proving to be the perfect getaway destination.
Blessed with the ever-enchanting greenery and freshness of the Sahyadri Hills of the Western Ghats, Yana is a hill station famous for housing two giant natural Limestone monoliths which attracts pilgrims in thousands every year. The Bhairaveshwara Peak and Mohini Peak are said to hold religious importance representing Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati respectively. Coupled with religious importance, it is also a great place to trek and bird watch. A trek to the twin peaks involves a very steep 3 km long trek which is at its worst slippery and it ‘s best breezy. The Yana village which symbolizes the rustic Indian rural life with mud roads, mushroom-like huts and a laid-back lifestyle allows you to get a glimpse of life in the Western Ghats.
Best Time To Visit Yana Caves :
The period from October till February is the best time to visit this beautiful hill station as it greets its visitors at its glorious best, the hills are greener, the trekking path is dry and there are countless more things to explore plus you don_Ñét need to carry a lot of layers of clothes and just a jumper sweatshirt should do. Monsoons are a period to avoid as the trekking path is slippery and rendered inaccessible plus most of the things are closed during this time as it is off-season.
This beautiful rock formation near Gokarn is a must visit for the tourists. Had these rocks were anywhere in Europe, I am sure it would have become a major tourist attraction. The walking on the pathway to the rocks is a good experience by itself. The forest department has kept the whole area quite clean and nice. Walkaround the rocks is a must for those who want to enjoy the rock formation. Unfortunately, there are no eating places near the rocks and hence one need to carry their own food. Suggest first go to the Vibhuthi falls nearby in the morning, have a nice breakfast at Vibhuthi Restuarant thereafter and then visit Yaana rocks. That should be the ideal sequence of visits considering that walk to the to rocks in about 300 mtrs and it has nice canopy made of trees. Hence one will not feel tired walking to the rocks. The unique designed rest rooms at the parking area were quite clean and with abundant water.
Mythology:
The names of the majestic rocks at Yana are linked to an interesting section in Hindu mythology. A demon named Bhasmasura manages to get a unique gift that anything on which he keeps his palm burns into ashes (bhasma). With this unique skill Bhasmasura wrecks havoc and attempts to try his skill on the very person who granted the gift- Lord Shiva. Fearing his life, Lord Shiva seeks help from Lord Vishnu, who takes the shape of a beautiful woman named Mohini and appears in front of Bhasmasura. Trying to win over Mohini, Bhasmasura accepts her challenge to dance with her and perform the same steps as she does. As the dance progresses, Mohini keeps her hand over her head. Bhasmasura performs the same act and burns into ashes.
Yana is an ideal destination for pilgrims, trekkers, and nature-lovers alike. A 16km trek through the cool and breezy hills brings you to the foot of the mountain where the rock formations begin. At the top, a stunning sight awaits you: the awesome Bhairaveshwara and Jaganmohini shikharas (or peaks). A cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva lies below these shikharas. The vagaries of time have caused these limestone structures to turn blackish brown and lots of beehives dot the rock surface.
A popular legend associated with Yana holds that Bhasmasura, an evil demon, performed penance to Lord Shiva and obtained the power of reducing to ashes anybody on whose head he placed his hand. An ungrateful Bhasmasura, however, soon decided to test the boon on his benefactor. To escape from him, Lord Shiva came to earth and hid in this place. Lord Vishnu taking the form of a beautiful woman Mohini, challenged the demon to dance and made him touch his own head and thereby reducing him to ashes.
Yana rocks are an adventure seeker’s ultimate destination. Yanà in Uttara Kannada district attracts trekkers and climbers from all over the world.
Why Visit Yana:
- Hike up to the rocks: Yana attracts hikers because of its two massive rock formations, known as Bhairaveshwara hill and Mohini hill (90 meters) in height.
- Temples: At the bottom of Bhairaveshwara hill, a Shiva temple, believed to be self emerged exists. Water drips on the Shiva Linga from the top of rocks.
- Bird Watching: Probability of bird spotting is very high at this rocks and nearby areas.
- Waterfalls: Trek to visit Vibhooti waterfalls will be an excellent adventure activity in Yana (9.7 kms by trek from Yana, longer road access available but 70 kms by road)
There is a Kannada saying “Sokku iddare Yana, Rokka iddare Gokarna”- If you have lots of money to spend, go to Rona (Gokarna), if you are feeling over enthusiastic, visit Yanà. This saying was due to extreme difficulty one had to face in the past to reach Yana. Now well paved roads take you till the bottom of the rocks.
How to reach Yana:
Plan about half a day to explore Yana. A visit to Yanà rocks can also be clubbed with a visit to Murudeshwara (76 kms), Gokarna (48 kms) and Karwar (90 kms) along the coastline would be a wonderful option especially for those looking to enjoy some vitamin sea.
By Train: Kumta is the nearest railway station to Yana from KSR, Bengaluru Station. You can hop on to Karwar Express which is usually scheduled for 5:30 AM from the departing destination. There are trains available from Mangaluru Railway Station to Kumta as well. Karwar Express transits via Mysuru Railway Station to Bengaluru with the station of arrival being Kumta, totally close to 470 kms away from Yana.
By Road: Travelers can either take their own vehicles and drive through the smooth NH 48 from Bengaluru to Yana which is approximately 470 kms and close to 9 hours by road.
There is bus connectivity such as KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) and private buses as well up to Kumta from Bengaluru.
The closest city to Yanà, Sirsi, is about 30 kms and takes about 1 hour to reach the destination.
The next closest town to Yana is Hubli-Dharwad, which is about 104 kms give or take and takes close to 3 hours of travel by road.
By Air: The closest airport to Kumta is Debolim Airport, Goa to reach Kumta and the rest that follow are closer based on distance from the coast and connectivity. You may either hire taxis or hop on to the public transport to reach Yanà or your accommodation in Kumta or the surrounding locations.
Places to stay near Yana: Multitude of hotel options are available in Kumta.
Yana Caves.
