Mohini’s scorching dance

The air is heavy with the fragrance of the forest and gurgling streams of water greet us everywhere. It is an early December morning and the mellow rays of a rising sun gently ignite the treetops as we follow a muddy trail leading to the legendary rock formations of Yana.

A biodiversity hotspot in the Sahyadri mountain range in northern Karnataka, Yana is about 60 km from Karwar and 390 km from Bengaluru. Located deep inside the jungles of the Western Ghats, between Kumta and Sirsi, it is home to a cluster of nearly 61 rock pinnacles of different shapes and sizes, spread over 3 sq km. Vagaries of weather have roughened the solid compositions in black, crystalline limestone; the crevices shelter thousands of honeycombs. Prominent among the limestone formations are the twin peaks of Bhairaveshwara and Mohini, at 390 ft and 300 ft, respectively. The spikes of these monoliths jut out of the verdant greenery and seemingly pierce the clear blue sky.

Indian mythology associates Yana with the demon king Bhasmasura, who with Lord Shiva’s blessing could burn anyone to ashes merely by touching their head. When Shiva himself is threatened, Lord Vishnu takes the form of the beautiful dancing damsel Mohini and tricks the demon into burning himself. That blaze is believed to have blackened the limestone formations at Yana.

After walking more than a kilometre in the jungle, we sight the gigantic protrusions ahead of us. A flight of 200-plus steps brings us to the foot of the Mohini peak. Bats and bees swarm the cavernous boulders. The rocks are defaced in many places with graffiti left by tourists. While Yana is a caving, trekking and rock-climbing paradise for adventure seekers, the Mohini and Bhairaveshwara peaks are off-bounds due to religious belief.

A few steps up and we are in front of Bhairaveshwara and the cave temple built into it. Yards from the cave’s entrance we stop for a cool drink before exploring the temple. A bronze idol of Goddess Durga in the form of Chandika and a linga are worshipped at the temple. Water drips steadily from the roof onto the linga . The stalactite and stalagmite cave structures, including the linga , have formed over several millennia. According to the Geological Survey of India, the rock formations in this region are rich in minerals including iron and manganese. Locally, the Mahashivaratri festival dedicated to Shiva is celebrated over ten days.

We climb yet another flight of steps to enter the cave passage, a circumambulatory pathway to the temple below. Bats abound everywhere inside the cave, which is illuminated in places by streaks of sunlight entering through crevices. Some of the rock formations are mesmerising, with some seemingly precariously balanced on other rocks.

We wind up our visit with a stop at the Vibhuti Falls, about 3 km away, on the Gangavali river. A narrow, corkscrew pathway down a valley brings us within a kilometre of the falls. We follow the jungle trail to trek up to the falls — a moderate gush of water from a height of 25 ft. Ensconced by bamboo groves and evergreen forests, the top of the falls provides an enchanting view of the surrounding greenery.

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