Jawhar Palace
Chief among these is the Jaivilas Palace, a palace. Although the palace is a private property, the grandeur lends itself to its historical significance. The palace has beautiful oil paintings of the kings of the Mukne dynasty. Apart from this, rare furniture and other items have also been preserved here. The palace is located 42 km from Palghar. Also known as’ Palghar District Mahabaleshwar ‘. It is also gifted with dense forests and a rich pleasant climate. The best time to visit Jawhar is during the monsoons when fog envelops the surrounding villages and hills. Jawhar is also known for Warli paintings. It is a place of typical climate surrounded by forests in a very serene environment. The ruins of Jaivilas and Bhupatgarh, the tribal gods, are worth seeing. Dadar, Kopradhabdaba are worth seeing. Similarly, Hanuman Point is similar to Sunset Point.
Arnala Fort
Arnala is the finest of the sea forts. It is located in Arnala village, Vasai taluka. Arnala Fort is also known as’ Jaldurg ‘or’ Janjire Arnala ‘. Arnala came under the control of several empires such as the Mughals, the Marathas, the Portuguese, and finally the Peshwas. Sultan Mahmud Begada originally built the fort in 1516 CE. There is no food but water is well available at the fort. The fort is rectangular in shape and almost surrounded by water. There are many temples such as Trimbakeshwar, Bhavani Mata, Kalika Mata, and Mahadev. There are three gateways, one on either side of which is a large tower which is on the northern side of the fort.
Vasai Fort
Vasai, also known as Bassein, is about 45 km from Palghar city. It is located in the Vasai taluka. The fort in the old city is the Portuguese headquarters to the north and is next in importance after Goa. The sea shore of Vasai Fort was surrounded by the sea on three sides and a moat near the rockfall was filled with sea-water. It had 4,5 km long strong stone fortification with 11 towers.
The fort had two gates, the rear one being the western gate. The fort also has a small fort with well-equipped water tanks, cellars, granaries, etc. The fort also had a grain and vegetable growing area. All the old structures are destroyed inside the walls.
Vasai was the main naval base and the ship-building centre of the Portuguese. In 1802 AD, Peshwa Bajirao signed the infamous’ Treaty of Bassein ‘here which dissolved the Maratha Confederacy. Finally, the fort and the town of Vasai were under British control in an 1817 advertisement.
Gambhirgarh
The climate of Gambhirgarh is quite ‘severe’ as per its name. It is located in the Dahanu taluka of Palghar district, on the Gujarat border. Advancing closer to the fort, we first approach the plateau which is the stage of the fort. There is an abundance of wild vegetation, unregulated growth. There is a Devi temple located here. The Mahalaxmi Pillar and the forts probably Asheri and Adsul are visible.
Tarapur Fort
Inside the Tarapur Fort are wells and a tiger, which was gifted to Vikaji Mehrji for a hundred years by Bajirao Peshwa, and is still in the possession of his heirs, and is currently in the possession of the Chorghe family. It is located in Boisar village of Palghar taluka. And besides, there are army quarters, a church, a Dominican monastery, and a hospital. In 1739, the fort was attacked by the Marathas under the leadership of Chimaji Appan. 4 managed to make two towers and the great screen, setting up tunnels. There were some inferior buildings inside the fort, which were buried by them. Inside were two warehouses and a guard room, in addition to some junior buildings and several wells filled with excellent water.
Kaladurg Fort
Kaladurg Fort is a hill type fort and is located in Palghar Taluka of Palghar district. The height of this fort is about 1550 feet. Palghar has many hill forts and Kaladurg is one of them. The fort is rectangular in shape. Hence, this rectangular shape of the fort can be easily explored from a distance. There is no sign that suggests it is a fort. The fort has a large concentration of forest trees, so the fort has a healthy population of tribes. But the living standard is poor. The fort is divided into a rectangular rock-topped fort and a rock-bottomed fort. There are two to three steps that separate the two parts.
Kelwa Fort
Kelwa Fort, a historically important fort built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, is located next to the beautiful and serene Kelwa Base South. The fort is located in the Palghar taluka. The fort was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during his Maratha rule. The fort is surrounded by more and more expansive natural scenery with pine trees covering the fort. The fort is surrounded by water on all sides, which provides a pleasantly attractive experience during high tide and low tide.
It is well accessible and visible during low tide, and a local country boat facility is available to access the fort.
Kamandurg
Kamandurg is located in Vasai taluka of Palghar district. The tribal community Warli is very helpful to the people living in Belkadi. There are also 5 drinking water tanks found on the plateau and a rock-cut statue. The entire region looks lush green, covered with dense forest. One can enjoy a beautiful view of Vasai from here. There are 2 peaks and to reach there one has to come down from the first peak and climb back to the second peak.
Shirgaon Fort
The Shirgaon Fort is located on the seaward side of Palghar taluka. This fort was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to keep an eye on the enemy coming from the Arabian Sea. Remains of this ancient fort now remain. The fort was dominated by the Portuguese before the Marathas. In 1818, the British acquired the fort from the Marathas. The fort is 200 feet high and over 150 feet long. The Portuguese have kept the original brick and red stone construction intact while renovating the fort and increasing its area. The north western part of the fort is marked by the history of the Five Foot Gun War. Apart from regular tourists, the fort has always attracted historians due to its cleanliness and beautiful surroundings. The most exciting is the palm tree tree which has six to seven branches. A rarity is that the Shirgaon Fort is fortified and the walls are in good condition.