Trekking - ट्रैकिंग - تراکینگ : scenic point

Destination : Karnala (Panvel)

Location : Karnala (Panvel)
Coordinates: 18°52'57"N 73°7'8"E
Distance from Mumbai: 47.8 kms*
Duration : 12 Hrs*
Estimated cost : Rs.300*
Time to visit : Winter
Activities : Trekking, Fort, Gardens, Hill Top, Bird Watching, Wildlife Sanctuary
Place of visit : Karnala Fort
Elevation : 1500 ft*

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Mid-way view from Karnala Hill

This was the time when the winter season was descending. We planned for an escape to nature, a break from our usual routine. The Karnala Bird Sanctuary is one of the popular tourist locations in Panvel near Mumbai. It is surprising how such an amazing trekking location exists so close to Mumbai. The bird sanctuary is a popular destination for avid bird-watchers and hikers in the Mumbai area and home to over 150 species of resident birds and 37 species of migratory birds who visit the sanctuary during winter.

The sanctuary is centered around the historic Karnala fort. Present day, it is a favorite weekend spot for trekking enthusiasts.

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

Tum-tum

watchtower when the fort was occupied however now it is in a ruined condition. Be aware of the presence of bee hives .There is a water cistern which used to provide fresh water all year long, From the top, the forts of Prabalgad and Rajmachi are clearly visible.

We gathered at Panvel station and then walked till the main road to catch a tum-tum (6 seater auto rickshaw) which will charge you 30-50 rupees per person. Please do not pay more than 30-50 rupees as the rickshaw wala's might cheat you.

Entrance of Karnala

We reached the entrance of the Karnala bird sanctuary within 25-35 minutes. There is a huge parking space for people who travel by private vehicles .The entry fee to the sanctuary was around 30 bucks. There is a big map at the entrance showing the whole sanctuary and the fort surrounding it.

Do not carry plastic bottles for water, use re-usable bottles like the tupperware ones. If you do carry a plastic bottle you would have to make a deposit of 200 bucks and register near the entrance. The deposit would be returned only if you manage to get the plastic bottle on your way back. Please do not litter and help in preserving nature. Clicking pictures is not prohibited but if you wish to take a camera inside the sanctuary , you need to pay Rs. 150.

Caged Rabbits

There were not many species of birds as we had expected. The caged birds were the only ones that caught our attention. There were also rabbits and beautiful peacocks in the cages. There is also a temple of Goddess Karnai near the base the fort. We spent some time there capturing images and then continued our trail.

Way to hill top

Once the straight path ended ,we found ourselves in the dense part of the sanctuary. There we no steps along the way, so we had to actually climb rocks and stony paths to the summit which made us feel like professional hikers. We could hear the sounds of different birds clearer now. There were five shacks for shade along the way to the top, mostly for denoting how much distance we covered. We hauled at every shack to pause for a while. All along, the path had trees on both sides, and we couldn't see the fort until we neared it. It wasn't monsoon time, so there were no water freefalls neither it was slippery which otherwise is the case during the rains.

View of Karnala Fort

There were two forts, one at a higher level and one at a lower level. The central structure of the fort was like a tall pillar like structure. Climbing on this was not allowed because it is risky. There were two waters holes around the structure , which has adulterated water now. There was an open space at the far end of the fort, where we spent some time clicking pictures and watching the breathtaking view from up there.

Karnala Fort

After exploring more places around the fort, we had our lunch at the last shack & started descending the mountain. The way back down was quite smooth as compared to the ascent. We reached the entrance in much lesser time. We reached the base and felt a sense of pride to have covered the 1500 feet successfully. At the base, there was a woman offering to make lemon juice for the trekkers, which was like a boon for us as we were very thirsty and tired.

We loved how the unadulterated physical magnificence around us stimulated in us thoughts that we would otherwise never have. After all, we knew that while the blisters on our aching feet will heal and fade away, we will always be able to carry these thoughts with us. Overall, it was an amazing and memorable experience; a must visit place.

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Plan your own trip Now !

How to reach :

Panvel (47.8 kms)

By road : via NH3 or Sion-Panvel Expy
By train : via mumbai-harbour local train

Karnala from Panvel Station (15.0 kms)

By auto : 25 mins (Rs/-30 per person)
By bus : 40 mins (Rs/-15 per person

The Itinerary :

09 : 00 - Assemble at Panvel station
08 : 15 - Take Rickshaw for Karnala
08 : 45 - Reach the base & Start climbing the hill
11 : 30 - Reach hill top & explore the fort
12 : 45 - Lunch at Hill Top
01 : 30 - Start descending the hill
03 : 30 - Reach back to the base & Refreshments.
04 : 00 - Take Rickshaw for Panvel Station
04 : 30 - Depart home from Panvel station

Costs :

Entry - Rs/-30
Camera charges - Rs/-150 (non refundable)
plastic materials - Rs/-200 (refundable)
FINE - Rs/-500 for littering or throwing garbage
Parking Available - Rs/-50 (capacity : 20 cars ONLY)

Food :

Karnala - Small shops selling eateries like Nimbu paani, etc are available only on the base of the hill.
Lunch - Most of the restaurants are available around the station only. So it is advisable to carry your own lunch from home.

Bag Packing :

Cap & Aviators
Small rope
Lighter / matchbox
Pen Knife
2 litres of drinking water
Food : Dry lunch, sandwich, cake, biscuit or fruits.
First Aid : Band aid, Cotton, Savlon, Soframycin, crocin odomos, Eno or Electral powder

Dressing :

T-shirt & tracks
Winter Jacket
Good pair of shoes

Do's :

Get Binocular for bird watch
Packed lunch from home as no restos available near by
Tupperware bottles for water

Don"t :

Do not get plastic things like bisleri bottles or polythene bags.

Feed the animals

Throw garbage in the jungle

Beware :

Monkeys snatching food

Spider web

Honeycombs on the hill top

Cell Phone :

Battery charged
Power backups
Image files of local area map
2g/3g enabled
Working flashlight
Updated google maps & saved offline maps
Phone number of the group members

Do not Take :

Canned food/drinks.
Say no to meat/chicken while trekking.
Bagged such as chips & other junk
Avoid all fat & starch items as much as you can as they contain complex carbohydrates and take longer to digest.

Coordinates :

Panvel : 18°59'27"N 73°7'14"E
Karnala : 18°52'57"N 73°7'8"E

The Team

Viren Nawani
Trek Planning & Organising

Nidhi Shetty
Blog writer & Editor

Parth Parikh
Photography

Rashneet Sachdeva
Trek Financer

Destination : Virar

Location : Virar
Coordinates: 19°27'18"N 72°48'43"E
Distance from Mumbai : 65.0 kms*
Duration : 12 Hrs*
Estimated cost : Rs.400*
Time to visit : Winter
Activities : Trekking, hill climbing, sightseeing, fort, nature trail, village tour, scenic point
Places of visit : Tunga Parvat and Arnala fort
Nearby Areas: Virar, Vasai (वसई), Vasai-Virar (वसई-विरार)

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Mid-way view from Tunga Parvat

In the lap of nature, far from the madding crowd and pollution of the cities, a place where you can escape for a while with your buddies is all you need to rejuvenate yourself.

If you enjoy the beauty of nature, this is the blog you need to read.

Jivdani entrance gate no. 2 and
way to Tunga Parvat

It was not really a sudden plan but there were a lot of last minute changes. We woke up early, packed our bags, gathered and took a train to Virar and reached the station around 9 a.m. You need to get down on the east, catch an auto there to the base of the hill. Autos are easily available and the fare would be around 10 per person and if you are ready to adjust, 4 to 5 people are allowed in one autorickshaw. You will reach the base in around 15 – 20 minutes and then start climbing. Beware of the cheats, the rickshaw wala's might cheat you by charging you higher as the autos do not run on meter.

Scenic view from Tunga Parvat

Get down on Jivdani Mata Mandir gate number 2 and start walking in the narrow lane. If you've been on hikes before or if you're looking forward to it, do visit this temple on the top of the hill. Climbing the steps and watching the amazing view from above will undoubtedly be a memorable experience.

On your way, as you near the top you will find eateries. Climbing so many steps is a tiring job, so you can pause at intervals, have lemonade and refresh yourselves. You should definitely take breaks to capture the breathtaking view you as you climb.

Shops outside temple selling
puja offerings

As you near the temple, you will find shops selling flowers and other puja offerings. Before entering the temple, you need to keep your shoes and other items like cameras, bags (if any) outside. There are shops for this purpose, but on a safer side someone can wait outside the temple with the belongings and go for darshan after others are back. The temple is huge and well maintained and visited by tourists frequently. There is also a ropeway atop the hill!

View of Tunga Parvat & Jivdani
mandir from Virar station

Photography is strictly prohibited in the temple premises and if you get caught clicking photos with your cell phone camera you will land into trouble. The temple was quite huge, didn't count the number of flours though, but there might be 4 - 5 stories. There is heavy checking on the entrance of the temple. As you enter, you will have to go through marble paths which lead you to the Jivdani Temple. the two stories above are made for people to sit in the temple to pray. above that there is an open space terrace type temple of maa kaali. There are eateries also available on the rooftop. one can sit, eat and enjoy the scenic view of the city. Climbing more up on a higher level of the rooftop there was a hanuman mandir and a temple for cow. There were also many threads of wishes tied by the devotees over there. You get the tasty prasad on the way back to the first level of the temple.

THE TEAM

Viren Nawani (left)
Rashneet Sachdeva (center)
Nidhi Shetty (right)
Photography by - Parth Parikh

The descent was not so tiring, we paused again many times on our downward route to click more pictures of the beautiful view from the hill and taking our own pictures. We had our snacks which we got from home and tried the Nimbu paani over there which was not bad for 10 bucks. At some places the stairs were not built and the mud was slippery, one has to be careful while descending the hill. We then took an auto to a restaurant "Viva"which is on the west opening of the virar station. The food was quite good and i would recommend one to have lunch over there. After having the our nice break with lunch we began for the next part of our trip which was Arnala fort which was 10 kms from there.

One can end his/her/their journey over here if you are planning for a half day trek.

Ferries at Arnala

We took an auto to the Arnala beach where we need to take a ferry to the island where the fort is situated. The auto fare is around 25 per head for the 10 km distance to the jetty.
Well, the ferry ride was quite an experience with the localites crowding the small boat. Since you would prefer shoes for climbing the hill, you need to take an extra pair of slippers with you for the beach. Don’t forget to carry your cap and other necessary items.

Getting drenched while getting
onto the boat

The ferry stops a little away from the shore so we need to walk in the water as to get aboard. One thing to admit, the water is not as clean as you may expect it to be because Arnala is a fisherman’s area and fishes are what you'd find all around. Don't be surprised if climbing onto to the boat is an uneasy task and you may get drenched till your thighs, so keep all your necessary items like cell phones inside your bags and hold it in your hand safely.

Arnala fort

Once you reach the island which is like 10 minutes away , you may get drenched again while getting out of the boat, so better come prepared. This was hell of an adventure though. You need to start walking straight through the small line of the fishing village . There are local shops available there if you need to buy anything to eat or drink for the fort. After walking for 5 minutes or less we found the fort.

Dried shrimps

The fort was not as huge as we expected it to be ,all that you can do is walk around the four walls of the fort enjoy the peace of the place and click photographs of the natural scenes. It was fascinating to think how old this fort was, with it’s secret staircases, though they lead nowhere.There was not much to explore but the most surprising thing was the dried shrimps laid all around on the fort, there was no foul smell of them at all but yet it was creepy to walk over them at some place.

Inside the fort

The greenery in & around the fort and the view of the sea from up there was quite worth all the trouble from the ferry. We started walking and clicking pictures everywhere we stopped. It is one of the idle locations for a good photo shoot. The view from all the sides of the fort was fantastic. An idle place for one who loves greenery, sea & peace.

Banyan tree swings

You can explore the centre of the fort, which gives you the island vibes.You will spot a pond, a temple , a mosque and a well with the local people busy washing clothes . There is a huge Banyan tree near the temple, with it’s vines entangled and crafted like a swing; a complete village experience. After spending quite some time there, we prepared ourselves for the return journey.You have to take the ferry again, which honestly is not so frequent.We headed back to the station around 5 p.m.

THE TEAM

Viren Nawani (left)
Nidhi Shetty (center)
Rashneet Sachdeva (right)
Photography by - Parth Parikh

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and did not forget to take our DSLR with us to capture beautiful and natural scenes, events and memorable moments.
These photographs will help us to keep our joy and memories of this trip fresh and new!
This was our experience in brief, hope it was satisfactory.

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