From Yana with LOVE
We reached Kumta from Hospet via Hubli. It was a long & winding trip; but everybit interesting.
Finding cheap accomodation in Kumta was a lost cause, as all rooms cost upward of rs.200/- for 2 people. Having gathered all the relevant information, we proceeded to Yana the following day.
There are only 2 bus services to Yana ( morning 8.30 & eveng 4.30).
During the dry season, the buses go all the way to the base, however, in the monsoons, they stop about 8 km short of the destination at Sandalli.
All our apprehensions about trekking through to Yana were put to rest when the bus conductor introduced us to a family who stayed nearby. We were fortunate to get a jeep ride for abt 6km. from there on we trekked up.
Along the way, the colour of the soil changes from red to black & becomes extremely slippery for vehicles.
As we progressed along the path, we got the first glimpse of the sphires : 3 of them scattered far amongst the vegitation. This definitely was the strangest sight i have seen till date.They are neither hills or rock faces & they do not pocess any specific shape or geometry. Probably the lack of symmetry , the jagged & wornout appearance is what gives them such a physically imposing presence.
We did see a few more smaller limestone structures along the way. On closer inspection, realised that the whitish crystalline colour that is normally associated with limestone was covered with a thick black coat. For this reason, at first sight, it is impossible to fathom..these r limestone structures.
Along the way, met a few tourists who had come to visit the shrine of Shiva.
Beacuse of their strange appearance & colour, these monoliths merge with the thick vegetation. The camoflague is so stark... standing a few feet away from a 100 + ft structure, we were completely unaware of their presence.
The vegitation in this part of the world is very much similar to Kerala with huge trees & extremely dense foliage. The bird life, which we got to hear on the way down was exotic.
There are basic Shelter , toilets & piped water made available @ strategic places in an effort to keep the place clean. Solar powered street lamps have also been placed.
As we approached the 2 mighty sphires namely Mohini Shikara & Bhairaweshwara Shikara, there were steps with railings along the way.
They r an extraordinary sight, I have no words to describe what we felt.
At the base of Bhairaweshwara Shikara, there is a temple of lord Shiva.
Enroute,there are banners highlighting the dangers of Bees. The locals warn u against using cameras with flashes @ these hives.
The temple set inside a cave has a medival look & feel to it.
The priest @ the Temple was a frienly bloke who invited us in & shared some of the history of the place; unfortunately in Kannada. I was using my Malayalam & Tamil skills to decipher the code. After a few frantic efforts @ online decoding, I gave up. The priest appreciated the noding of my head & the monologue continued.
Neeti,who was soon loosing her patience @ watching a foreign language film without subtitles was about to scream out, when the priest stopped & adviced us to take a pradakshina along the cave. Never realise there was a cave!!!
For a more holistic experience, it is preferrable to carry a Kannadiga along to decipher the code.
The cave was another amongst a long list of surprises that we were to encounter. Can't describe the cave, unless u r a fan of Phantom & have seen his skull cave. Well, it is not shaped like a skull, but there is water trickling all along. It might be a downpour in the monsoons.
A swarm of Bats were seen creating a ruckus up amongst the cracks. The stream of light that illuminate parts of the cave from the roof, make it a surreal experience.
Since teh only option to reach back to Sandalli was walking, we were not keen on spending too much time exploring in that lonely place. Missing the bus from Sandalli @ 5.30 would have meant trouble.
So we hitched back after taking a few breaks along the small streams & waterfalls. The trek to Sandalli took about 2 hrs. & we had another 4 hrs to spare befr the ST bus returns.
We thought we had a great time till then; but we were in for a surprise. The kids ( Satish & Anand )who were @ the shop, welcomed us, provided us some relishing omllettes & tea. We were so carried away by their hospitality, exhuberance, energy & simplicity that; the next moment we were playing cricket in a nearby field for teh next 2 hrs. Neetis bowling skills seemed to have bamboozled the young one; so much so...there was intense on field rivalry. Every time, the ball disappeared into the woods, they would return back with a few mangoes or pineapples. Later, they offerd us more food & showed us a huge lizard which they had caught earlier in the day. It was something like an iguana, which they scare of from the trees, only to be caught by their dogs below.
I have had the pleasure of swimming in a whole lot of ponds in Kerala; but the place these chaps took us to was...quite awesome...heavenly I guess. Neeti too was tempted, but resisted as she had already consumed her spare clothes.
After a brilliant time spent in the waters competing with these kids, it was time to catch the bus. Whatever apprehensions we had before embarking on this trip were washed away into thin air.
On the way back, both of us were quite stunned at the drama that unfolded all through the day. Never did we expect, a trip to such a forlorn place would leave us connected in a very intimate way to the beautifull people who reside in the heavenly abode of Yana.
Having done the trip, I can safely say.... it was the kids & their family who made this trip memorable. The limestones sphires & caves might seaze to exist, but as long as u get to meet such enchanting people with an immense Zest for Life, Yana would still remain the mystical paradise that we were so blessed to have experienced.
I hope, many of u guys would get to experience the beauty of the people who inhabit these places & also get to see the Sphires.
All of this still sounds like a wild dream, which reignites itself at the blink of an eye. Thankfully, this is one dream we are proud to have lived through.
Monsoons & Winter are ideal times for going to Yana. Trad Climbing is not possible on all the sphires due to restrictions. However, the one adjacent to the base can be attempted.
I know for sure, Vijay is headed that way in July..... pack u'r sacks guys & climb the Stairway to Heaven....!!!!
Finding cheap accomodation in Kumta was a lost cause, as all rooms cost upward of rs.200/- for 2 people. Having gathered all the relevant information, we proceeded to Yana the following day.
There are only 2 bus services to Yana ( morning 8.30 & eveng 4.30).
During the dry season, the buses go all the way to the base, however, in the monsoons, they stop about 8 km short of the destination at Sandalli.
All our apprehensions about trekking through to Yana were put to rest when the bus conductor introduced us to a family who stayed nearby. We were fortunate to get a jeep ride for abt 6km. from there on we trekked up.
Along the way, the colour of the soil changes from red to black & becomes extremely slippery for vehicles.
As we progressed along the path, we got the first glimpse of the sphires : 3 of them scattered far amongst the vegitation. This definitely was the strangest sight i have seen till date.They are neither hills or rock faces & they do not pocess any specific shape or geometry. Probably the lack of symmetry , the jagged & wornout appearance is what gives them such a physically imposing presence.
We did see a few more smaller limestone structures along the way. On closer inspection, realised that the whitish crystalline colour that is normally associated with limestone was covered with a thick black coat. For this reason, at first sight, it is impossible to fathom..these r limestone structures.
Along the way, met a few tourists who had come to visit the shrine of Shiva.
Beacuse of their strange appearance & colour, these monoliths merge with the thick vegetation. The camoflague is so stark... standing a few feet away from a 100 + ft structure, we were completely unaware of their presence.
The vegitation in this part of the world is very much similar to Kerala with huge trees & extremely dense foliage. The bird life, which we got to hear on the way down was exotic.
There are basic Shelter , toilets & piped water made available @ strategic places in an effort to keep the place clean. Solar powered street lamps have also been placed.
As we approached the 2 mighty sphires namely Mohini Shikara & Bhairaweshwara Shikara, there were steps with railings along the way.
They r an extraordinary sight, I have no words to describe what we felt.
At the base of Bhairaweshwara Shikara, there is a temple of lord Shiva.
Enroute,there are banners highlighting the dangers of Bees. The locals warn u against using cameras with flashes @ these hives.
The temple set inside a cave has a medival look & feel to it.
The priest @ the Temple was a frienly bloke who invited us in & shared some of the history of the place; unfortunately in Kannada. I was using my Malayalam & Tamil skills to decipher the code. After a few frantic efforts @ online decoding, I gave up. The priest appreciated the noding of my head & the monologue continued.
Neeti,who was soon loosing her patience @ watching a foreign language film without subtitles was about to scream out, when the priest stopped & adviced us to take a pradakshina along the cave. Never realise there was a cave!!!
For a more holistic experience, it is preferrable to carry a Kannadiga along to decipher the code.
The cave was another amongst a long list of surprises that we were to encounter. Can't describe the cave, unless u r a fan of Phantom & have seen his skull cave. Well, it is not shaped like a skull, but there is water trickling all along. It might be a downpour in the monsoons.
A swarm of Bats were seen creating a ruckus up amongst the cracks. The stream of light that illuminate parts of the cave from the roof, make it a surreal experience.
Since teh only option to reach back to Sandalli was walking, we were not keen on spending too much time exploring in that lonely place. Missing the bus from Sandalli @ 5.30 would have meant trouble.
So we hitched back after taking a few breaks along the small streams & waterfalls. The trek to Sandalli took about 2 hrs. & we had another 4 hrs to spare befr the ST bus returns.
We thought we had a great time till then; but we were in for a surprise. The kids ( Satish & Anand )who were @ the shop, welcomed us, provided us some relishing omllettes & tea. We were so carried away by their hospitality, exhuberance, energy & simplicity that; the next moment we were playing cricket in a nearby field for teh next 2 hrs. Neetis bowling skills seemed to have bamboozled the young one; so much so...there was intense on field rivalry. Every time, the ball disappeared into the woods, they would return back with a few mangoes or pineapples. Later, they offerd us more food & showed us a huge lizard which they had caught earlier in the day. It was something like an iguana, which they scare of from the trees, only to be caught by their dogs below.
I have had the pleasure of swimming in a whole lot of ponds in Kerala; but the place these chaps took us to was...quite awesome...heavenly I guess. Neeti too was tempted, but resisted as she had already consumed her spare clothes.
After a brilliant time spent in the waters competing with these kids, it was time to catch the bus. Whatever apprehensions we had before embarking on this trip were washed away into thin air.
On the way back, both of us were quite stunned at the drama that unfolded all through the day. Never did we expect, a trip to such a forlorn place would leave us connected in a very intimate way to the beautifull people who reside in the heavenly abode of Yana.
Having done the trip, I can safely say.... it was the kids & their family who made this trip memorable. The limestones sphires & caves might seaze to exist, but as long as u get to meet such enchanting people with an immense Zest for Life, Yana would still remain the mystical paradise that we were so blessed to have experienced.
I hope, many of u guys would get to experience the beauty of the people who inhabit these places & also get to see the Sphires.
All of this still sounds like a wild dream, which reignites itself at the blink of an eye. Thankfully, this is one dream we are proud to have lived through.
Monsoons & Winter are ideal times for going to Yana. Trad Climbing is not possible on all the sphires due to restrictions. However, the one adjacent to the base can be attempted.
I know for sure, Vijay is headed that way in July..... pack u'r sacks guys & climb the Stairway to Heaven....!!!!
posted by The Supertramp @ 11:29 PM
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