Yana Caves

Yana Caves :Yana caves are one the most beautiful creations of Nature. It is located in north kannada district of Karnataka. Famously it is in Gokarna.This rock formation is both mesmerizing and alluring, it has two distinct peaks known by the name Bhaireveshwara Shikara and Mohini Sikhara, Bhaireveshwara is the tallest among two with height of 390 ft. The cave is located in the middle of the forest and the colour contrast which is pitch black cave and lush green forest makes it a treat to eyes. It is 52 km from om beach. And the bike ride is one of the most scenic rides I have ever had in my life through a dense forest.How to reach Yana caves parking area:Book a scooty or bike in Gokarna which costs 700 rupees for a day. Start by visiting Mirjan fort and after that start for Yana caves which will take 2 hours covering distance of 52 km as the roads are single lane and through a forest. Also the whole way is scenic. Please make sure to fill petrol or diesel in advance as there is not a single shop in the whole stretch of the forest till the Yana caves. Entry fees : Yana caves have entry fees of 10 rupees and the parking charges of 40 rupees. Walk till Yana caves : After reaching the parking area it is a Trek of at least 3-4 km. The first half is walking on a slope while the rest half is climbing on stairs. The last part is tiring as there are many steps till Yana caves entry point.At the parking area few shops are there for snacks and refreshments, also at the top two small shops are there selling maggi, coconut water and basic snacks.Another climb to reach inside Yana caves :You need to climb 100 more steps to reach inside Yana caves. Entry points start from a temple at the base of the cave.You can stop there for sometime and pray then start for caves. It is humongous caves, outside rock is pitch black and looks like black sedimentary rocks. Inside is also dark as there is no light in the cave. The whole area feels like a huge vacuum inside a mountain. Though it has a peculiar smell inside. Few places lit with sunlight peeping through the opening. Overall it was an amazing experience for a day in Gokarna.When to start to see caves properly : Visit the caves from morning till late afternoon as in the evening it becomes difficult to see inside caves You also can't click pictures as it is pitch black dark.How much does it cost :It will cost 700 for a scooty 200- 300 petrol and another 200 - 300 for Maggi and other snacks.Thanks, let me know if you like the article.

Then we visited Yana caves- the most interesting part of the day. Yana is a village in North Karnataka. located in Sahyadri range of Western Ghats. It is located at a distance of 75 Kilometers from Murudeswar and 50 Kilometers from Gokarna. This is famous for the unusual monolithic rock formations. Interestingly this place is also linked to Hindu mythology. The demon named Bhasmasura was burnt into ashes by himself here. Hence the soil of this area is too black and sticky. As Lord Shiva blessed him with that power and the demon followed the Lord to test it. Lord hid in these caves and Mohini- a form of Lord Vishnu helped to kill the demon. Hence there are two rock caves named Bhairaveswar and Mohini.Pro Tip: There is no signal at Yana caves, better to download offline maps. Also carry umbrella if travelling during Monsoon.We got to know that there was this stretch of 1 and half to 2 Kilometers to trek up to reach the cave. Carrying Umbrellas is advisable during Monsoon specifically. The weather was fluctuation quickly there. the initial stretch was not very tough as there were no steps initially. The entire stretch was covered alongside with lush green flora and fauna. There was a small stream of water flowing next to the road making the trek enjoyable. It was raining most of the time. towards the end there were steps to climb up. It was very tough, but somehow we reached the top and then it started pouring heavily. There was a cave temple, which I visited This is called the Bhairaveswar Peek with a height of 120 meters. Then I saw there were few more steps to go further up, but barefoot. As it was raining heavily I did not go up further and had my darshan there and came back. The peek that was there further is called Mohini Peek and the height of this one is 90 meters. The trek till there was a experience of lifetime. Coming down was fun and enjoyable. It took around 3 hours to complete the trek.

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December 27thNext day, we started at 10am and took a 1.5hours journey to Yana Caves. There is no internet connectivity on the way to Yana, so my advice to everyone is to download google map offline. All the sign boards are in Kannada and people from other states may miss the left that we need to take (like we missed). Also, fill your vehicle's tank beforehand as there are no petrol pumps in and around Yana.Once you reach the entrance, there is no proper parking available. Just park your vehicle at the side of the road and make sure your parking doesn't disturb other vehicle movements. There's almost 3km hike from the parking which will almost consume all your energy. Carry water bottles and some snacks as nothing is available up there.You need to remove your shoes before entering into the cave as the entry goes through a temple which is kind of weird as the caves are known for leaches and insects. Anyhow, moving forward, we went inside the cave and were mesmerized by the beauty of the limestone formations. Every location is click-worthy. We spent almost 2hours there and didn't know how time flew by.