Karnala fort
Karnala fort also known as the Funnel Hill is a hill fort in?Raigad district,?about 10 kms from?Panvel?city and 65kms from Mumbai. The fort is a protected property which is situated within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary and offers a great opportunity to enjoy a refreshing, easy trek. Karnala fort consists of two forts out of which one is at a higher level and other is at a lower level.
The trek to the top of the fort takes atleast 2 hours if you are in good health, and a little lesser while walking back down. The route is quite easy and not very steep, although it definitely gets very slippery during the monsoon. For more adventurous trekkers, there is a short-cut to the top of the fort as well which reduces the time by about half an hour, however this route is actually very steep and should only be attempted if you are comfortable with trekking. We would advise you to carry atleast 2litres of water per person on the trek, and make sure you are wearing appropriate shoes.
In the middle of the higher level is a 125 feet high basalt pillar which is popular as Pandu's tower. This pillar served as a watchtower when the fort was occupied, however now it is in ruined state. There is a water reservoir here which supplies fresh water all year long. From the top of the fort, Prabalgad and?Rajmachi?forts can be seen on the northern side. 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 and its words are indecipherable. The Persian writing on upper gate reads "Syed Nuruddin Muhammad Khan, Hijri, and is probably from the Mughal era. The Fort has a recorded history of having passed through the hands of Muslim, Portuguese and Maratha rulers.
