Ya-na in Marathi means ‘Please come’ so for us to go to the Yana caves from Go-karna made a lot of sense. It’s quite a drive from Gokarna and it was raining heavily along the route which was pretty much deserted. Barring a couple of villages and fields, all we saw were thickly wooded hills on either side of the narrow, winding road we were on. Visions of leopards and other wildlife had begun to cross our minds when we finally arrived at a clearing where we saw a tea stall and a couple of cars. Yay! Human beings at last!
It was still raining and to get to the caves we would have to trek some distance. It’s only 1.5 kms and not much of a climb, except at one stretch, the man at the gate assured us. Once again, we forgot that a kilometer and a half on a city road is not the same as the same distance on a stony, muddy, uneven track through a forest. In the rain!
The rain too kept us guessing- it would stop when the umbrellas were opened up and then drizzle gently down a few minutes later. There was a stream that flowed down the rocky gorge next to the track and its sound kept us company as it swirled and eddied over the rocks, forming pools and waterfalls on the way.
We tramped on, although with each step I asked myself if I should turn back. A group of college girls was on its way back and I asked them the inevitable question- How far is it to the caves? Another half an hour of walking- came the cheery answer and my heart sank.
Then from a distance, we spotted some steps and what looked like a temple. Success! We reached the temple and stopped to catch our breath when we saw a long flight of stairs that led to the actual caves. There was no turning back now so we carried on- one step at a time. We encountered another group of youngsters on their way down and asked them the same question- How much farther?? This time the response was much more reassuring, although I was highly offended when one of the girls asked me how old I was. Hah.
As we ascended the steps a massive, dark grey rock structure loomed into view. It stood majestically at the summit, weathered by millions of years of rain, wind and storms. A little ahead was another towering structure, obscured by a dense undergrowth and trees. There were huge rocks around the peaks and we walked cautiously around them for a while. Sadly we had used up most of our energy in getting to this point and lacked the will to climb more stairs that would lead to the second monolith. The Yana caves- tempting as they sounded- ‘Ya- na!’ would have to wait for if we ever came this way again.
The descent was easier and quicker and it was our turn to tell someone who was plodding her way up, as to how much farther it was.
These jagged and mysteriously layered rock formations are over 500 million years old (how many zeroes is that, I wonder). They are what geologists call ‘siliceous limestone‘ which was formed layer by layer on the ocean bed. Due to tectonics these layers became vertical and now they stand impressively among the dense, evergreen forests of the western ghats.
Legend has it that the demon Bhasmasura performed severe penance to Lord Shiva and was granted the boon of reducing anyone to ashes just by placing his hand on their head. The demon then tried to test this boon on Shiva himself, who turned to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu transformed himself into a seductive dancer Mohini, who challenged the demon to a dance contest. During the dance the demon was induced to place his hand on his own head and was instantly reduced to ashes. The intense heat of the demon’s destruction turned the neighbouring peaks black. And the dark soil around these peaks are the ashes of the demon Bhasmasura.
I don’t really suffer from FOMO but after getting home and reading up about these caves, I must admit to having a twinge of regret that we were unable to explore more of the Yana caves.
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