Mohini Shikahara & Bhairaveshwara Shikhara

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Yana: Nature's own moment

 

Legendary connections

Vedic Legends seems pretty close to Yana. It finds a reference in

Kaushika Ramayana, where Battaleshwara is said to have lived at Yana.

Bhairaveshwara is also said to have made Yana his home at the request

of Sahayadri Vadirajaswamy and thus the derivation Yana Bhairava.

http://199.74.239.15/relatedfiles/yana_1_40119_1.jpg

But the specific story goes thus. Bhasmasura who had received the

super power from Shiva of reducing to ashes anything that he could

touch ventured to use this boon against Shiva himself. Shiva was

forced to take shelter in these mountains. Vishnu, in the form of

Mohini, finally reduced Bhasmasura and reduced him to ashes. The ash

like soil found all around the place is ascribed to this burning of

Bhasmasura.

 

What is natural is always graceful. So true! We go one step further

and add beautiful, towering and strong to the list of superlatives.

Yana housed in the pristine Western Ghats well deserves these one-

word descriptions. Yana is a god-forsaken village in the evergreen

rainforests of the Western Ghats. An attractive and alluring place

for trekking and nature camps.

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Alluring points

What is most fascinating and enchanting about Yana are the two solid

black rocks locally called Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and Mohini

Shikahara. These two enticing, beautiful, steep giant rocks rising

into the skies do their best at 120 metres and 90 metres

respectively. Composed of black crystalline limestone and grey in

colour, geologically they are about two thousand million years old.

 

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Bhairaveshwara Shikahara itself covers an area of about half a km in

radius. The surface of the rocks is rough due to constant exposure to

air and water. A narrow path leads about half way up the side of the

huge rock and to a cave which is about 3 metres in width, produced as

a result of the soluble action of water for millions of years. Yana

at its best is in the mornings and evenings when the play of light

and shade create a visual wonder.

 

Legendary connections

Vedic Legends seems pretty close to Yana. It finds a reference in

Kaushika Ramayana, where Battaleshwara is said to have lived at Yana.

Bhairaveshwara is also said to have made Yana his home at the request

of Sahayadri Vadirajaswamy and thus the derivation Yana Bhairava.

http://199.74.239.15/relatedfiles/yana_1_40119_1.jpg

But the specific story goes thus. Bhasmasura who had received the

super power from Shiva of reducing to ashes anything that he could

touch ventured to use this boon against Shiva himself. Shiva was

forced to take shelter in these mountains. Vishnu, in the form of

Mohini, finally reduced Bhasmasura and reduced him to ashes. The ash

like soil found all around the place is ascribed to this burning of

Bhasmasura.

 

 

 

 

 

Even the Skandapurana has links with Yana and the references move to

the present times with Buchannan naming Yana in his works.

 

The present

Udbhava (come up by itself) idol of Bhairaveshwara finds a place on

Bhairaveshwara Shikhara. Water drips from the braid of the Bhairava

idol, which is described as Gangobhava. Bronze icons of Ganga and

Chandika are also near the Bhairaveshwara idol. Next to the sanctum

sanctorum a Shivalinga is placed and no worship is offered. It is

said that this Shivalinga was in the sanctum sanctorum along with

Udhbhava Bhaireshwara and this was shifted to the present place many

years ago. There is no documentary evidence as to who had installed

this Shivalinga.

 

Through the middle of the rock flows a stream locally called

Chandihole and it joins the Aghanashini River at Uppinapatna. Bees

have closely knitted hundreds of combs, which hang from the high

corners of the rocks.

The annual festival in honour of the diety Bhairaveshwara is

conducted during Shivarathri. Thousands of devotees gather during the

annual festival (jathra) the number of devotees attending the jathra

is on the increase in the recent years.

 

 

 

 

 

After walking for about 200 metres along the foot-track of thorny

plants on the leftside of Bhairaveshwara Shikahara and then towards

the rock is a small cave-like hole which leads the way inside the

rock.. One can venture into this small opening by crawling. Inside

there is a new world of rocks and one can climb up to about half the

distance to get a delightful view.

 

The virgin forests of Yana are the richest treasure house of flora

and fauna. Rare species of birds like the great Indian Hornbill,

Cyclone forgmouth are the native inhabitants of this area. This

region is also a refuge for many wild animals such as boars,

leopards, tigers, rib-faced deer, bears, dholes, sambar, mouse deer,

Malabar flying squirrel and King Cobras. The total reserve of the

crystalline limestone of Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and Mohini Shikhara

are estimated at 1.5 million tonnes.

 

To be a part

Yana is based in Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.

It is at a distance of 235 km from Mangalore and 145 km from Hubli.

One can reach Yana via Hubli, Sirsi, Hegdekatta, Mathighatta cross or

Mangalore, Bhatkal, Kumta, Kathgal and Harita. One has to take the

Karnataka State Highway No 69 which is a link road between National

Highway No 17 and 4. Whichever route one takes, one has to walk 2 to

3 km as there is no motorable road. Walking this last 2-3 km through

the middle of the rich evergreen forest itself is a thrilling

experience. The adventurous spirit will find much to fill his

backpack of memories.

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