If you are an adventure buff then, surely you would love visiting Yana Rocks. The hiking trails along with a mix of the lush green backdrop and tempting scenery is what makes Yana Rocks a famous tourist spot in Karnataka.
The two main hillocks of the Yana Rocks are Mohini Shikhara and Bhairaveshwara. Both of these hillocks carry height of around 90 meters and 120 meters respectively. Set up against the backdrop of the Sahyadri Hill range give these rocks a magical feel altogether.
There are many reasons to plan a trip to this place. However, the major reason is the attractive beauty of these rocks and apart from that, the brilliant trail of limestone formations and the black karst structures attracts tourists here in the first place. Undoubtedly, Yana Rocks can be your perfect weekend travel getaway.
The best time to visit this place is during the months of September to February. In these months, you can hope to have a good time for sightseeing activities. However, it is advised to avoid travelling here during the monsoon months as the nearby forests can be difficult to tread.
History of Yana Rocks
Yana Rocks even have a mythological legend associated with them. Yes, it is believed that once, the demon king, Bhasmasura, was granted a boon by Lord Shiva. According to the boon, whomsoever and whatsoever he touched straightaway turned to ashes. Thus, he had the boon to bhasma (burn) his enemies who came his way.
Corrupted by his own power, he decided to test it on Lord Shiva himself by touching his head. However, Lord Shiva successfully made his escape and reached out to Lord Vishnu seeking protection and guidance.
Listening to the woes of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu turned himself into an extremely beautiful girl named Mohini. Her beauty was such that it even enticed the demon Bhasmasura.
As the legend goes, she challenged Bhasmasura in dancing. While dancing, she made a pose with her hand on her head and told Bhasmasura to do the same. And when he did that, he was instantly burned by his own immense power. It is because of this reason, it is said that the colour of the Yana Rocks is also black, depicting the ash.
Major Attractions Around Yana Rocks
1. Evergreen Forests of the Sahyadri Mountains
The Sahyadri Mountain range is very beautiful. The variety of rock formations, waterfalls, and the presence of ancient temples here will simply take your heart away. It is also one of the major reasons to visit Yana Rocks.
2. Sirsi & Kumta
Sirsi is a magnificent hill station and Kumta is an adorable town situated at an approximate distance of 40 km from each other. The ethereal beauty of both these places is worth experiencing and exploring around. Anyone visiting here must absolutely give travelling to this place a thought.
3. Yana Caves
The Yana Caves are associated with Goddess Chandika. She is considered as the incarnation of Mother Goddess Durga. And visiting these caves, you feel compelled to contemplate how they must have formed in the first place. It is truly an incredible experience which any traveller must have.
4. Mirjan Fort
Having a very rich history, this fort is located on the beautiful banks of river Aghanashini. It is an excellent reminder of our glorious history. Talking about history, this fort has witnessed many battles during the 16th century and 17th century. So, if you have an interest in history then this is definitely a great place to visit for you.
How to Reach Yana Rocks
To witness these somewhat unique and unusual rock formations in Karnataka, you will need to cover a total distance of 2,016, 727, 2,067, 461 km about from metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Check out the travel deets mentioned below and on how you can reach here via different means of public transportation.
By Air
The nearest airport is the Hubli Airport (HBX) situated at a distance of 174 km. This airport is known for serving the cities of Hubli and Dharwad. The Hubli Airport is also known as Hubballi Airport is the 3rd busiest airport in Karnataka.
Many airlines like Air India, IndiGo operate to and fro this place with good connectivity with other Indian cities.
- Delhi - Board IndiGo and Air India flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.6,000
- Bengaluru - Board IndiGo, Air India from Kempegowda International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.2,000
- Tirupati - Board IndiGo, Air India from Tirupati International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.3,000
After you deboard at the airport, you can easily take a cab or some other means of transportation to reach here.
By Train
The nearest train station is the Hubballi Junction. This train station is located at a distance of 179 km from Yana Rocks. This train station comes under the South Western Railway Zone located in Hubli.
It is considered as one of the busiest railway stations in Karnataka and has good connectivity with other Indian cities like Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad and many others. Here is the railway route you can take to visit here. And after you deboard at the station, you will need to cover the remaining distance by some means of public transportation like a cab or a bus.
- Mumbai - Board Puducherry Express from Dadar and deboard at the Hubballi Junction
- Goa - Board YPR Biweekly Express from Madgaon and deboard at the Hubballi Junction
- Hyderabad - Board KCG YPR Express from Kacheguda Junction and deboard at the Hubballi Junction
- Bengaluru - Board SBC BGM Express from KSR Bengaluru Station and deboard at the Hubballi Junction
- Pune - Board Puducherry Express from Pune Junction and deboard at the Hubballi Junction
- Ajmer - Board SBC Garib Nawaj from Ajmer Junction and deboard at Hubballi Junction
By Road
Depending upon your location you can also plan on visiting Tirupati via road by your own vehicle or either by interstate buses as well. From Chennai, the ticket price starts from Rs.150. From Bengaluru, the ticket price starts from Rs.400. From Nellore, the tickets start from Rs.250
Here is the route you can consider travelling by road.
- Mysuru - 441 km via NH66 or Arsikere-Mysore Road
- Bengaluru - 469 km via NH48 or NH69
- Mangalore - 229 km via NH66
- Panaji - 182 km via NH66
- Dandeli - 157 km via SH46 and NH66
- Hubli - 175 km via NH52
You can plan your trip and create your own route to the city with Adotrip’s technically driven circuit planner. Click here
