About Karnala Fort:
Karnala fort is a hill fort in Raigad district about 10 km from Panvel city. Currently it is a protected place lying within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Today, the ruins of the fort are a popular destination for hiking and tourism.It is a wonderful trek of 1 hour from the bottom of the hill. There are 5 resting places on the pathway made by forest department. The final climbing steps near the entrance of the fort are made safe by iron railings. It is not advisable to cook food at the base of the pinnacle, as the smell of smoke irritates the Honey Bees. The water from the southernmost rock cut water cistern is portable. First aid is available at the Forest guest house.Trekking during the monsoon is really an exhilarating experience.
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. There is a water cistern which provides fresh water all year long. From the top the forts of Prabalgad, Manikgad, Haji Malang, Chanderi fort, Matheran, Sankshi fort, Dronagiri fort, 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)[2] and probably dates from the Mughal occupation of the fort. This rock cut inscription has been removed by some miscreants long back.
Bhavani Temple - There is a temple deddicated to goddess Bhavani located at the bottom of the fort. It is said that the goddess gave a sword to king Shivaji, which he then used to conquer a vast area of land for the establishment of a Hindu nation.
Event Details:
Trek Difficulty - Easy
Trek Distance - 3 km
Washroom Available at base village
Location: Near Panvel
Karnala Fort Trek Transport - Sharing Jeep
Karnala Fort Height - 1500 ft
Karnala Fort - Hill Fort
Minimum - 5 participants required to conduct the event
Maximum: 25 participants
Base Village: Shirdhon
District: Raigad
Karnala Fort Trek - Itinerary:
07:30 Assembly at Panvel Station near ticket counter
07:45 Reach Panvel state transport depot.
09:00 Reach Karnala Fort Trek base by ST Bus / Tum-Tum Rickshaw
11:00 Summit and explore - Lunch
12:30 Start descending from Karnala Fort
15:30 Travel back to Panvel Station
16:30 Karnala Fort Trek End at Panvel Railway Station
Cost Includes
• 1 Veg Breakfast
• Travel from Panvel ST depot – to Karnala fort base – and back to Panvel ST depot by tumtum / ST
• Karnala Wildlife Sanctuary Entry fee
Cost Excludes
• Emergency Medical evacuations if any required
• Insurance and any item/event not mentioned in the inclusion list.
• Camera fees and Lunch
• Please carry lunch or snacks for this trek
For registration and confirmation transfer Rs. 800.00 per person.
Cancellation Policy:
• 50 % refund if notified via phone conversation 3 days prior to the event date.
• No refund if the cancellation requested is less than 3 days. No show No Refund.
• Event Tickets cannot be transferred to another date against cancellation.
• Event Tickets cannot be transferred to another person against cancellation.
