Why in News?
Karnala Fort is in the news following a major environmental controversy reported on June 2, 2026. Activists and local citizens revealed that over 60 hectares (150 acres) of protected private forest land has been deforested right along the periphery of the fort.
About
- The land diversion order was quietly cleared by the Panvel Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) without obtaining mandatory prior clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Ongoing heavy excavation and tree-felling at the site are causing severe, irreversible damage to the sensitive ecosystem surrounding both the historical fort and the Karnala Bird Sanctuary.
Geographic Profile
- The Funnel Hill: Widely known by its geographical nickname, "Funnel Hill," owing to its unique basalt rock formation.
- Specific Location: Situated in the Panvel taluka of the Raigad District in Maharashtra, standing at an elevation of roughly 1,500 feet inside the northern Western Ghats (Sahyadris).
- Bor Pass Watchtower: Overlooks the historic Bor Pass, which served as a crucial ancient military and trade choke-point linking the Konkan coast to the Deccan interiors.
- Sanctuary Core: Holds the distinction of being the only fort in Maharashtra completely enclosed inside a protected wildlife reserve—the Karnala Bird Sanctuary.
Timeline of Historical Ownership
- Pre-1400 Construction: Believed to have been originally established under the Devagiri Yadavs (1248–1318) and the Tughlaq Dynasties (1318–1347), serving as an administrative district capital.
- Sultanate & Portuguese Tussles: Passed into the hands of the Gujarat Sultanate, followed by a bloody capture by the Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar and a subsequent 1540 occupation by the Portuguese garrison.
- Maratha Integration: Conquered in 1670 by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who constructed strategic defensive breastworks to successfully wrestle control away from the Mughal Empire.
- Modern Resistance: Functioned as a tactical hideout and operating base for the prominent tribal freedom fighter Vasudev Balwant Phadke during his early revolts against the British East India Company.
Core Architectural Features
- Two-Tiered Fortification: Engineered with a dual layout split between a lower-level hexagonal bastion and an upper security enclosure.
- Pandu’s Tower: A distinct 125-feet-high basalt pillar resting at the absolute center of the upper fort, historically utilized as a strategic military watchtower.
- Bhavani Temple: Houses a historic temple dedicated to the goddess Bhavani positioned near the base foothills of the fortification structure.
- Rock-Cut Cisterns: Features several ancient water storage tanks carved directly out of the mountain bedrock to supply freshwater to stationed troops.
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