MOHINI SHIKARA SHELTER, Yana

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A spacious, naturally roofed resting place, measuring about 8 m in square (some 60 to 70 square metres) and approximately 2 m in height throughout, is formed by a single fallen boulder wedged horizontally between opposing rock faces. Two entrances, facing each other, provide access, ventilation, and daylight. SITUATION: On the left-hand side of the flight of steps ascending to Bhairaveshwara Shikara, at the foot of Mohini Shikara, the second largest karst tower in the –>Bhairav Kshetra, and a few metres (50 m?) below –>Mohini Shikara Cave. The shelter is reached, if approaching from below, by an inconspicuous and about 5 m long one-way passage (capped by another fallen boulder), or on the descent by an even less obvious trail into vegetation adjacent to the right-hand side of the concrete steps. CAVE POTENTIAL: The site is suspected to yield archaeological evidence and is obviously used till today by pilgrims as a troglodyte shelter, at least during the annual fair in the –>Bhairav Ksetra (Bhairavkshetra) at Yana (Yan).