Deep in the thick woods of the Sahyadri Range, a natural marvel juts into the sky. You are left in wide-eyed wonder by the two awesome peaks of black crystalline limestone. If the coastal greenery turns you into a romantic, the dark jutting peaks turn you into a historian, delving into how fantastic the lives of cave men must have been. Legend has it that here Lord Vishnu assumed the female form of Mohini and killed the demon Bhasmasura. Welcome to Yaana. Here, there?s something for everyone ?the adventurous rock-climber, the pilgrim and the nature-lover.
From Gokarna drive to Kathkal via Mirjanu. Then, 2 km further up the hill road you?ll reach Yaana Cross, where you take the deviation to Yaana (board present). Alternatively, a bus from Kumta takes you on a half-hour journey along the ghats and stops 3 km short of Yaana. The road from here is no longer motorable and the trek through the wilderness can be a bit harsh if it?s peak summer. All of a sudden, you?ll be stopped in your tracks at the sight of the two peaks towering above the forest cover ? the 400-ft Bhairaveshwari Shikhara and the 300-ft Mohini Shikhara. The incessant rains in the Western Ghats have eroded the rocks, forming natural caves in their walls. Pilgrims worship at a cave temple here which enshrines a Shiva idol and a bronze icon of Chandika, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. An annual festival here during Shivratri draws hordes of pilgrims who circumambulate the shikharas. A little further away from Yaana is a place called Sahasra Linga, which is a stream flowing amidst innumerable stone lingas. Just around 10 km from Yaana are the Haschalla Falls in Mathigatta Village. Do make sure you leave Yaana in time to catch the 6 pm bus back to Kumta.