CHANDIKA GUWA, Yana

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A natural temple cave used as a prospering religious show cave (note 1), modified by man and used as a sacred garbha griha (holiest) dedicated to Chandi Amma (note 2) with a 3 feet high bronze figurine of the mother goddess (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 24: 413; kamat.com/kalranga/kar/yana.htm) and Ganga (KAMATH 2001). Water trickling into a niche (note 3) keeps a lingam (note 4) wet. SITUATION: The main temple of the Bhairava kshetra (sacred compound of Bhairava) lies at the bottom of the western face of the Bhairaveshwara Shikara (literally 'Lord Bhairava's temple spire', mundane: 'god Bhairava's karst tower) at Yana (off the Kumta- Sirsi road) in the Motiguddi Hills, part of the Sahayadri Range (Western Ghats). CAVE DESCRIPTION: A walled off cave entrance with man-sized door, barred by a foldable waist high iron gate (access is limited to priests) gives way to a 12 m long (note 5), close to 2 m wide and high vadose tube (arriving from 020° or north-north-west, with roundd ceiling, artificially smoothed? walls and concrete floor) to a terminal (?), moist and possibly joint controlled T-junction, where --if peeping in from the cave entrance-- one can imagine, but his is mere guesswork, lateral extensions petering out into impenetrable fissures. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003, beware of Journalese nonsense: A two meter tall Shivalinga is two feet high and called Bhiraveshwara [sic! qua: Bhairehvara] is in the middle of a cave [in a niche adjacent to the main passage]. Water drips from the hanging rock [sic! for: from a bulge of the ceiling] over the head of the linga, described [sic! for: interpreted] as Gangodbhava [not the lingam but the trickle of water]. To the south [sic! qua: initiallly west, later north] of this cave are smaller caves [sic! qua: much larger –>Shiva Cave at Yana] (KOOGTEMANE 2003). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use - folklore: Close by are the dwellings of Havik ministrants, who, along with their families, live in housings near the cave and undrtake the daily worship: performing rituals, selling souvenirs (guidebooks in Hindi and English were in press in 2002), lukewarm -cold drinks- and light snacks. CAVE LIFE: Tiny flies in the entrance area, moving not unlike fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) are suspected to molest visitors with small bites which turn itchy later on.d ceiling, artificially smoothed? walls and concrete floor) to a terminal (?), moist and possibly joint controlled T-junction, where --if peeping in from the cave entrance-- one can imagine, but his is mere guesswork, lateral extensions petering out into impenetrable fissures. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003, beware of Journalese nonsense: A two meter tall Shivalinga is two feet high and called Bhiraveshwara [sic! qua: Bhairehvara] is in the middle of a cave [in a niche adjacent to the main passage]. Water drips from the hanging rock [sic! for: from a bulge of the ceiling] over the head of the linga, described [sic! for: interpreted] as Gangodbhava [not the lingam but the trickle of water]. To the south [sic! qua: initiallly west, later north] of this cave are smaller caves [sic! qua: much larger –>Shiva Cave at Yana] (KOOGTEMANE 2003). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use - folklore: Close by are the dwellings of Havik ministrants, who, along with their families, live in housings near the cave and undd ceiling, artificially smoothed? walls and concrete floor) to a terminal (?), moist and possibly joint controlled T-junction, where --if peeping in from the cave entrance-- one can imagine, but his is mere guesswork, lateral extensions petering out into impenetrable fissures. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003, beware of Journalese nonsense: A two meter tall Shivalinga is two feet high and called Bhiraveshwara [sic! qua: Bhairehvara] is in the middle of a cave [in a niche adjacent to the main passage]. Water drips from the hanging rock [sic! for: from a bulge of the ceiling] over the head of the linga, described [sic! for: interpreted] as Gangodbhava [not the lingam but the trickle of water]. To the south [sic! qua: initiallly west, later north] of this cave are smaller caves [sic! qua: much larger –>Shiva Cave at Yana] (KOOGTEMANE 2003). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use - folklore: Close by are the dwellings of Havik ministrants, who, along with their families, live in housings near the cave and undrtake the daily worship: performing rituals, selling souvenirs (guidebooks in Hindi and English were in press in 2002), lukewarm -cold drinks- and light snacks. CAVE LIFE: Tiny flies in the entrance area, moving not unlike fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) are suspected to molest visitors with small bites which turn itchy later on.