Yana Caves are situated in Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka state in India. It is part of the part of Malenadu region of the Western Ghats. Yana village is the cleanest village in the state and the second cleanest village in India. Evergreen scenic forests are the specialty of these caves.

Two unique rock outcrops are the main tourist attractions here. Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and Mohini Shikhara are the names of these two rock outcrops. Shikhara means mountain peak in the local language. Additionally, people also refer to them as Ghost Forts. Bhairaveshwara Shikhara is 120 meters (390 ft) in height. Mohini Shikhara is 90 meters (300 ft) in height.

Solid black, crystalline karst limestone composes these two rock outcrops.

Yana is also a pilgrimage center because of the cave temple below the Bhairaveshwara Shikhara. The deity is a self-manifested Shiva linga (idol of Lord Shiva). Water drips from the roof over the Shiva Linga. During the Shivaratri festival, the community organizes the temple car festival and other festival activities.

To go near the caves, visitors must pay an entry fee of Rs 10.

Sahasralinga is a nearby tourist attraction and especially a pilgrim center, 53 kilometers away from these caves.

How Do I Go to Yana Caves?

There are two routes to reach Yana Caves.

The first one is from the Kumta-Sirsi Highway for those coming from Mangalore and Upipi side. Kumta Town is around 30 kilometers from Yana Caves. Udupi is 175 kilometers away from these caves. It would help if you trekked a small distance of half a kilometer through the thick forests from the nearest road. It takes around 30 minutes of hiking to cover this distance.

The second route is from the Sirsi-Ankola Road for those from Goa, Karwar, Bangalore, etc. Bengaluru, the state capital city, is at 445 kilometers’ distance from these rock outcrops at Yana.