| Distance | NA | Height | 1410 ft / 429 ft |
| Days | 1 day | Difficulty | Simple |
| Base Village | NA | ||
| Shelter | Caves at the top. Government rooms(Forest dept) at the base. | ||
Overview
Karnala is situated about 12 km from Panvel. Karnala fort is actually a part of "Karnala Bird Sanctuary" which hosts variety of birds. This is a very small fort which probably was built to keep a watch on surrounding Konkan region. It's peculiar thumb shaped pinnacle is a attraction for all. While going on the Mumbai-Goa highway we might have noticed a thumb like rock resting on a mountain. As we leave Panvel, the road towards Pen goes through green forests, and suddenly we have a glimpse of this pinnacle.Places of Interest
As we proceed ahead of Karmaidevi temple, we ascend through the main entrance door. Going right is the way to the base of the pinnacle and the caves carved out in it. The northern face of the pinnacle houses many beehives. Hence no sound should be made while going this way. Going rightwards we can see another entrance, but the way here is bit difficult. If we go to the left side, there are remnants of old dwelling places. Here are some tanks. There are many cisterns near the caves, but none of them contains potable water. A cistern on the left side, near the remnants, towards steep side of the fort contains drinking water. We enter the fort from northern side. Going southwards beyond the pinnacle, we can observe the ramparts in good condition. We climb some steps and come to the southern Machi. This face of the pinnacle is clear and suitable for rock climbers. A further southward is another bastion. On the entrance here are the carvings of “SHARABH”, which is a legendary animal. Here are the remnants old constructions. On the western face, there is not a clear way. Some caves are situated here.From the top of the fort we can see Prabalgad, Irshaalgad, Dhaak and forts of Rajmachi. On the west are Mumbai and Elephanta islands. The forts visible from here show a strong network to keep a check on the surrounding region.
Karnala fort actually consists of two forts one at a higher level and other lower. At the centre of the higher level is a 125 feet high basalt pillar. It is also called Pandu's tower. This structure was used as watchtower when the fort was occupied however now it is in a ruined condition. The presence of bee hives also makes it difficult to climb and have resulted in at least one casualty in recent times[6]. There is a water cistern which provides fresh water all year long. From the top the forts of Prabalgad and Rajmachi are clearly visible.
The fort has two inscriptions one in Marathi and the other in Persian. The Marathi inscription which has no date is seen on the lower gate on the inner side. Its words are indecipherable. The Persian writing is on upper gate reads "Syed Nuruddin Muhammad Khan, Hijri, 1147 AH (1735 CE) and probably dates from the Mughal occupation of the fort.
Bird Sanctuary:
The bird sanctuary is situated near the region of the fort. The sanctuary covers an area of 4 km. More than 150 species of birds have been observed here. These include Malabar Whistling Thrush, Paradise flycatcher, varieties of kites, owls and bulbuls, Maina, Ayora, Shaheen Falcon and many more. Bird watchers should be alert and should roam in small groups, or the birds may not be seen. Muniya and parrots have been caged here. Animals like porcupines, rabbits, monkeys, etc. are found here. Some rules like prohibition of fire and no injury to any wild animal are to be followed strictly. Now-a-days good resorts have made their way here and solved the problem for tourists.
History
Its exact date of formation is not know but likely it predates 1400 CE as under the Devagiri Yadavs(1248–1318) and under the Tughlaq rulers(1318–1347), Karnala was the capital of the north Konkan districts of their respective empires. It later fell under the command of the Gujarat Sultanate but in 1540 was taken over by Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar. The Gujarat sultans then requested the help of the Dom Francisco de Menenzes the commanding officer of the Portuguese at Bassien(modern day Vasai) to win it back. He ordered 500 of his soldiers to Karnala fort and they were able to capture it. The fort was left in charge of the Gujarat Sultanate but with Portuguese garrisons.The loss of Karnala enraged the Nizam Shah and he took back the fort and the surrounding countryside by sending 5,000 of his men. The Gujarat sultans fled to Vasai in panic and gave up any claims of the fort to the Portuguese. In the subsequent battle between the Nizam Shah and the Portuguese, the latter were victorious in repulsing further attacks of the Nizam Shahi army and the fort remained with the Portuguese. However the Portuguese viceroy determined that the forts of Sangli and Karnala were of little value to them and decided to give them to the Nizam Shah for an annual payment of Rs. 17,500(or 5,000 gold pardoas) to further their friendship.
Shivaji conquered it from the Portuguese in 1670 by building breastworks as he advanced. After his death in 1680 it was taken over by Aurangzeb. After this the Mughals occupied it for some time after which it in 1740 with the rise of the Peshwas of Pune it went to them. It remained under the command of killedar (garrison commander) Anantrao until a colonel Prother won the fort and established the rule of the British East India Company there in 1818.
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