Parnera Hill

Parnera Hill rises about 152 metres from the ground at Parnera, some 6.5 km from Valsad, and can be climbed from either Atul or Parnera. A fort built here by a Hindu king changed hands many times: Sultan Muhammad Shah Begda took it in the late 15th century, the Portuguese of Daman attacked it in 1558 and 1568, and folklore says Shivaji leapt on horseback from a hidden passage during a battle here after raiding Surat. Later held by the Marathas, the Gaekwads and the British, it was demolished during the 1857 rebellion. Some remains, three stepwells and three cannons survive.

The summit has three temples: a cave shrine of Maha Kali beneath a large rock south of the fort, an old temple to Chandika, Ambika, Navdurga and Sheetla Mata facing a Hanuman shrine, and the Swayambhu Rameshwar Mahadev Temple. A large fair is held at Navratri each October. Chand Pir Baba Dargah also stands at the top.