Jawhar is a city and municipal council in the Palghar district of Maharashtra state in the Konkan division of India. Jawhar is known for its pleasant and panoramic setting and energetic ancient cultural heritage. It is one of the oldest municipal councils in the state of Maharashtra.

Districts/Region

Palghar District, Maharashtra, India.

History

Jawhar state was founded by Raja Jayaba Mukne in 1343 with Jawhar as its capital. The state went through many ups and downs during its lifespan of more than 600 years.  It was merged with the Union of India in 1947. During the British Raj, as a princely state, it was included in the Bombay Presidency and had a 9-gun salute status. Albeit a capital city, Jawhar’s development was ignored by progressive rulers, because of low revenue and indiscriminate association. Jawhar saw a drastic improvement in the reign of Raja Patang Shah IV.  Raja Patang Shah V (Yashwant Rao) Mukne was the last leader of Jawhar before its formal integration with the Union of India in 1947.

Geography

Jawhar is a tropical region and is generally encircled by deciduous green plants. It has an average elevation of 447 meters (1466 feet). It is around 80 KM from Nashik and 145 KM from Mumbai by road.

Weather/Climate

The prominent weather in the region is rainfall, the Konkan belt experiences High Rainfall (ranges around 2500 mm to 4500 mm), and the climate remains Humid and warm. The temperature reaches up to 30 degrees Celsius during this season.
Summers are hot and humid, and the temperature touches 40 degrees Celsius.
Winters have a comparatively milder climate (around 28 degrees Celsius), and the weather remains Cool and Dry

Things to do

Tourists can visit to see scenic beauty, Jawhar also boasts of several interesting places such as Bhupatgad fort, Jai Vilas palace and many scenic places like Hanuman point and sunset point are some of the most visited spots in Jawhar.

Nearest tourist places

• Kal Mandavi Waterfall: - The Kal Mandavi Waterfall is about 100 meters in height and it flows throughout the year, and not just during the monsoon season. However, the most scenic views of the waterfall are during the monsoon season. Kal Mandavi is the name of a waterfall situated near Apatale gaon. Jawhar to Kalmandi is approximately 5-6 KM via Jawhar-Zap road.
• Khad-Khad Dam: - This is one of the major dams near Jawhar city. The excess water of the dam flows through the huge rocks (just ahead of the dam) which can be seen in the form of a waterfall.
• Sunset point: - Nearly 0.5 KM towards the west, from the heart of the city, there is a heritage of lovers called Sunset point. The shape of the valley around the Sunset point is like Bow, therefore earlier it was known as Dhanukamal. During sunset, one can see the mountain of Mahalaxmi near Dahanu, which is nearly 60 KM from Jawhar.
• Jai Vilas Palace: - Jai Vilas Palace is a historic tourist attraction in Jawhar. This neoclassical style palace was built by Raja Yashwant Rao Mukne. Built on a hilltop, this palace is a masterpiece of architecture with a blend of Western and Indian styles of architecture in majestic pink stones. The interiors of this palace display the rich culture and lifestyle of tribal kings of the Mukne family. The palace is surrounded by a garden with dense forest-like foliage, having trees everywhere. Due to its architectural style and location, the palace has been featured in several films in Marathi and Hindi.
• Shirpamal: - The Shirpamal is a place of historical importance. Shivaji Maharaj stayed overnight, en route to plunder Surat. The point was developed by Advocate Mukne, President of Jawhar Municipal Council in 1995.
• Gambhir gad: - Gambhir gad fort is a fort located 58 KM from Dahanu, Palghar district of Maharashtra. This fort is a less important fort in the Palghar district. The fort is in ruins and restoration is to be done. The height of the fort is 2252 ft.
• Dabhosa Waterfalls: - Dabhosa Waterfalls is a waterfall situated in the village of Dabhosa in Jawhar Tehsil, Palghar district, Maharashtra, India. This is one of the highest waterfalls situated near Mumbai. This waterfall is located over the Lendi River and cascades down from a height of 300 ft. Dabhosa waterfall is an adventurous spot for kayaking, trekking, valley crossing and fishing.

Special food speciality and hotel

The speciality of Palghar cuisines, Vadval gets its uniqueness from the local vegetable produce. Its food festival offers rare fish pickles and chutneys. There are varieties of dishes, some of which are Panmodi (Saweli)- a steamed mixture of grated cucumber, jaggery, and rice flour. Indel- a special preparation of marinated chicken by Vasai's Christians. The restaurants here serve a variety of dishes such as Aambil- an energy food that contains fermented jowar or sorghum flour, Ubad handi marinated chicken wrapped in special leaf is put an earthen pot sealed with leaves the cooking is done by lighting fire on top of the earthen pot, Paisli- marinated pieces of fish are wrapped in a palas leaves and roasted in the fire.

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station

Various Hotels are available in Jawhar.
Hospitals are available in Jawhar around 5 min (1.2 KM) from Jawhar.
The nearest Post office is available 5 min (1.1 KM)
The nearest police station is available 4min (0.9 KM)

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

The best time to visit Jawhar is the winter season from October to February when the weather remains cool and less humid.
July and September witness heavy rainfall hence it is mostly
avoided by the tourists.

Language spoken in area 

English, Hindi, Marathi