I don’t quite come to understand how I have responded to the temple-calling in this vacation. Three different temples in three days! Must be some religious joke! But then the truth is that the only 3 times I have set my foot out of my house in some 25 odd days has been to these three temples namely- mugva subramanya, indgunji and then lastly to yana ,day before yesterday. So I remove the bhadaas of staying home, and in what hurry! Of these the last one to Yana has been quite an experience. After performing ganahoma in Idgunji on Monday, a tired me just peeps into my gmail before going to bed only to get pinged by my friend asking me out for the trip and I am instantly “ok”. While my parents are happily sleeping unaware of my just planned adventure trip I already sulk, with the foresight of my dad’s eyes going insanely red in the morning light at my sudden idea of the pilgrimage (the way I plan to put it as :) ).
That my foresight never goes wrong was upheld yet again Tuesday morning and dramatically too, has to be only mentioned and not detailed, for some things should rest only in memories. Thus as destined the 3 of us Madhu, his friend sachin and me went to the holy place of Lord Shiva- YANA .
Only just now did I see the pictures of our trip in my friends orkut account. Though the images elated me and my lips stretched to show my teeth to the laptop screen, I felt the pictures didn’t quite tell the story of our trip, and importantly of Yana. And so I write here about this magnificent place located amidst the forest of the evergreen Sahyadri and not so much so about me and my friends and our experience encompassing so many little beautiful moments because to match them with words I believe is not my cup of tea.
“Sokkiddare yana, rokkaviddare gokarna” is a Kannada saying meaning – if you have the temerity travel Yana, if you have money go gokarna”. And this is how my father had mocked at my idea on the tuesday morning and rightly so, I feel now, for it is foolish to travel through the jungle of Western Ghats by walk on the lean curvy uphill road for not less than 2-3 kilometers , and that too in the rainy season which is all the more dangerous. But then I don’t regret our trip, not for a single moment, for it gave an experience which most people who have visited Yana might not have had. Though I had visited it already once in my school days with family I had not imagined that it could have been so risky and different in rainy season. And plus, we had taken the bikes. We rode some 30-32 kilometers may be , the last few through violent muddy roads which at places was waterlogged so much so that the tires got struck into the soft slippery soil beneath the water and we had to do some difficult exercise to pull through these places. And after a point from where the roads became impossible for the bikes we had to leave the bikes in a deserted shed and walk, rather trek (had to bend past a fallen tree as well) which toiled us, made us sweat even as it drizzled. But it was may be the best time of the trip where I enjoyed the most, as we exchanged views and spoke about history of different religious and scenic places , about religion and astrology( on our way back), though careful every moment about the poisonous species which were but common in the jungles of these ghats. Clicking the pictures, we walked across the jharnas which overflowed onto the crude roads (washed our dirty legs as well there), which trickle down the rocks to mingle and form a small river “Chandika hole” flowing into the Aghanashini river. We then reached the ganesha temple from where we could get the sight of a beautiful huge blackish rock called MOHINI SHIKHARA, one of the 2 famous rocks of yana, about 90 meters tall, to go past which we had to climb some 30 plus steps may be, finally reaching the BHAIRAVESHVARA SHIKHARA, the tallest rock roughly 120 meters from its base, where lies the temple cave. Though I faintly remember the place it looks very different with the deserted hut like shops which I remember were very active providing people with refreshments and eatables. We also discover that there is a road from Sirsi (40 kilometers from Sirsi) as well to yana, wherein vehicles can come to the vicinity of the temple and is therefore not tiresome at all. Another expected discovery is that we are the only visitors in the temple and how the pujari is delighted to see us!
The two rocks are nothing less than majestic, and mysterious too, as though they are telling a hard-to-comprehend story. There are so many animal like faces on the rocks, shapes resembling human faces, ear, eyes, intriguing indeed! The rocks seem to be made up of black crystalline limestone, roughened by incessant rains and sunlight from times unknown. The mohini shikhara is relatively much narrower than the Bhairaveshwara shikhara. I remember going inside the mohini shikhara in the last visit, but it is impossible to go there in this season of monsoons with all kinds of wild bees and creatures dwelling inside the rock. My friend asks – what if the rock decides to fall! The reply comes from the other one- not today, for we are here!
The Ganga Chandika Bhairaveshvara temple- The pujari gives us brief information about the temple and its history. This place is special not only because of the breath-taking rocks, but also because it remains as the only Shiva temple where there is no “Ishwar Ling”. There is a small natural cave measuring about 3 meters through the shikhara and at the end of the cave, on the body of the rock a region of the shape of “Ishwar Ling” shines as though oil is applied over it. Actually the rock itself is of such shiny nature, the outline of which is of the shape of Ishwar Ling. Stranger still is the fact that a drop of water continuously trickles down the rock right over the top head of the “Ishwar ling” constantly without any change in the quantity (which is just a drop) in all seasons –winter, rainy and summer. This is regarded as “ganga” over Lord Shiva’s head, rather “Gangodbhava”. Also on the top right side of the ling a shape clearly similar to a snake has emerged out of the rock which doesn’t seem to be carved out. This is also one of the very few temples where the Shiva-ling chaya or lets say any idol, is south-facing, which is why it is called “Ugra swarup” of Lord Shiva or “Bhairaveshwar” (I remember even Bhadrakali in Gokarna is south facing and so called “ugra swarupa” of goddess durga). The idol of Chandika is installed left to the Ishwar-ling chaya as it is not possible to worship Chandika in the Mohini shikhara due to wild bees and such troubles. Thus the name –“Ganga Chandika Bhairaweshvara temple”. There is a left curve running several meters at the end of the cave, the beginning of which is visible even to us from the front side, which ends with a door always closed, only opened for devotees during Shivaratri when they are allowed to see the Shiva-ling chaya at close. We wonder how old the temple is and we understand by the pujari that there is no record of the age of this temple, but the wooden carvings throughout the joining point edges of the walls and wooden ceiling and specially the four symbolics at the four corners (symbolic being elephant like ear and crocodile like face) indicate the entrance to the cave being built by the Kadambas who ruled this part of India in the 4 th century as my friend recollects. I remember seeing those symbolics in my school-trip visit, in the beautiful and artistic temples of Banavasi which was the capital of the Kadamba dynasty. Thus one can imagine the temple to be an ancient one.
The story behind the name – The name “Yana” is a recent one while it was called “Bhairav Kshetra” in the olden times. “Yana” in Kannada means travel, also vehicle, also way to knowledge. Since its been written in puranas that Rishees meditated in this place and acquired true knowledge and Ishwar , the name must have automatically come to this place. Also people from different parts took the trouble to travel to this place for the Shivaratri festival and answered the British officers – we are undertaking a yana, it is said to have got the name –Yana.
The mythological stories of Yana – Pleased with the penance of Bhasmasura,it is said that Lord Shiva granted him the power of reducing anyone to ashes, on whose head he would lay his hand. Bhasmasura tries to experiment by placing his head over Shiva himself. In order to save Shiva-Parvati, Lord Vishnu disguised as beautiful dancer Mohini makes Bhasmasura dance with her, making him keep his hand over his own head during the course of dance, thus reducing himself to ashes. Therefore Yana for about 2 kilometers around the temple is having black soil, in sharp contrast to red soil elsewhere in Uttara kannada district , which is believed to be due to the ashes of Bhasmasura
Another story is of Krishnaksh, who declares war with the Gods of heaven. The Gods then go to Lord Shiva’s refuge who takes a cruel avatara which the gods call – “Bhairav”. Krishnaksh runs away and hides inside Sahyadri hill. Agitated Bhairav kicks the mountain which separates Krishnaksh’s head and body. The King of Sahyadri, revered and dread after witnessing such a state of Shiva requests him to calm down and stay in Sahyadri for the welfare. The calmed Shiva decides to stay in Sahyadri mysteriously and becomes “aikya” inside ‘bhairaveshwar shikhara’ while Chandika becomes aikya inside “mohini shikhara” and the 59 “ganas” of Shiva become aikya in 59 small rocks. Thus there are totally 61 rocks in Yana, 2 being massive and other 59 being small ones.
There are many more stories which I would not touch upon, the 5 tirthas, the holy Chandika river etc. The scientists however say that the rocks were a result of volcanic eruptions and the black soil is the result of continues withering of the rocks, the wearing and crushing of small rocks and stones , after thousands of years and the subsequent settling down forming layers of black soil.
Whatever it is, the fragrance of spirituality is present in the air, simply because Yana is amidst nature, in the heart of the dense Western Ghats. The toil of the travel through the forest, the repose or tranquillity after reaching the beautiful Bhairaveshwara shikhara tripled by the aura of the temple cave gives an overwhelming feeling which I cannot even half explain. The reason why I chose to elucidate this pilgrim center out of so many temples which I have seen in Uttara Kannada is because of the fact that it is less spoken off and therefore less heard off, that the always crowded Murudeshwar and Gokarna where spirituality has lost its true meaning and shamefull commercialism flourishes never gave me such peace as this place did. When I folded my hands, with palms touching, standing in front of Shiva-ling chaya, doing the namaskara which means- my soul and your soul is one, I probably really meant it. I therefore feel that Yana is a true pilgrim center, uncommercial and close to nature, a little obscure and therefore sacred. I appreciate the decision taken many years ago by the authorities to let Yana be the way it is, untouched by commercialism, serene and pure.
We didn’t circle around the Bhairaveshavara shikhara as we were warned that it could be slippery and therefore dangerous. We then had our tiffin, then clicked some more pictures with and without rain as it grew and diminished. Finally the downpour happened continuously thus drenching us for the most part of our return journey. Well, the rain walk in this monsoon was anyways due. The rain ride definitely made up for the delay. Enjoyed to fullest (only how I could have done well to wear anything other than my white shirt. But then why worry, surf excel hai naa!!) :)
