Raigad fort is located at the beautiful Sahyadri hills nested at Mahad which falls under the Raigad district. The fort is  2,700 ft or 820 meters high above sea level. The fort is surrounded by a stunning view and one can thoroughly enjoy trekking to this beautiful fort. The total number of stairs that you will need to climb to reach this fort from ground level is 1,737. However, you can reach this fort with the help of a ropeway too if you want to save your time and have no interest in climbing these many stairs.

This is one of the iconic historical monuments of India and is priceless.

History of Raigad Fort

Raigad fort was built in early  1030 AD which was then conquered by Maratha ruler Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1656. The previous name of this fort was Rairi which was then renamed ‘Raigad’ by Shivaji Maharaj. The fort was then renovated by the Maratha Ruler with the help of architect Hirojee Indulkar. The palace was beautifully constructed with six chambers, queen’s quarters, with private restrooms. Because of its strategic location, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Made this fort the capital of his entire Maratha Empire. It is believed that the cavalry of ten thousand armed men was always kept at the fort for its and kingdoms security.

But in 1689, Mughal, Zulfikhar Khan acquired the fort and Aurangzeb renamed it Islamabad. In 1707 the fort was conquered by Siddi Fathekhan but again in 1733, the Raigad fort was captured by Shahu Maharaj of Maratha Kingdom.

In 1818, the fort was destroyed by the British and they took control over the remaining.

Raigad Fort Tourist Attractions

Even though it was destroyed and only the base structure remained today, the place still persists the inheritance of the Maratha Kingdom and gives you the feeling of majesty and grandness.

Being Surrounded by deep green valleys, the fort has several gateways that enthrall tourists. On the North and East side of this fort, there is a river named ‘Kal Nadi’ and on the west, there is a river named ‘Gandhari Nadi’. The two main villages at the base of this fort can be viewed from this fort i.e. Pachad and Raigadwadi.

The gateways like Mena Darwaja, Nagarkhana Darwaja, Palkhi Darwaja, and the Majestic Maha Darwaja are the main tourist attractions. Out of which The Majestic Maha Darwaja is the main entrance of this iconic fort.

The following are the Tourist Attractions which you should not miss when you visit this imperial monument.

1. Rani Vasa

The chamber of Rani Vasa, which comprises six chambers, was used by the mother of Shivaji Maharaj, Rani Jijabai. This chamber was also used by the other royal ladies of the Maratha kingdom. This is the only chamber which is remained intact after the bombardment by the British.

2. Palkhi Darwaja

This is a royal gate that you will find just in front of the Rani Vasa Chamber. This door served as a special doorway to the Shivaji Maharaj’s convoy during his empire. On the right side of the gate, there are three dark chambers that are huge and was served as great granaries to store grains at that time.

3. Raj Bhavan

This is the main part of the Raigad fort where Chatrapati Maharaj used to reside. The Raj Bhavan witnessed the victory, joys, sorrows as well as great generosity of Shivaji Maharaj.

4. Raj Sabha

The fort features a wide sprawling green lawn which is the Raj Sabha of Shivaji Maharaj’s Empire. This place has witnessed many important events of the Maratha Kingdom and one of them was the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj. This is the place where Shivaji Maharaj broke the shackles of slavery that lasted for 300 years.

5. Royal Bath

This royal bath is a sign of the great architectural vision of the people living in the 17th century. The impressive drainage system at Royal Bath will mesmerize you and make you think about how they could achieve these things without the invention of modern technologies.

6. Watch Towers

There were two watchtowers from where you can get a great vision of the surroundings. Unfortunately, the third watchtower was completely destroyed by the British while bombardment.

7. Holi Cha Mal

This is the place where the people of the fort used to celebrate Holi. It is basically a huge ground consisting of ‘Bara Tanki’ means a dozen of water tanks. This is definitely going to mesmerize you with its magical structure of ancient times.

8. Hirakani Buruj

Hirakani Buruj is a strong, wide, and tall wall which is as it is till now. This place is named after a strong lady who climbed the stiff cliff with bravery.

9. Takmak Tok

Takmak Tok is a strong massive rock which is located at a height of 1200 feet. It is believed that from this place people were punished to death. It is believed that Shivaji Maharaj had punished a number of enemies and traitors to death from this Takmak Tok point.

Places To Visit Near Raigad Fort

There are various other places near this fort worth visiting. These were also the part Shivaji Maharaj Kindom and narrates the beautiful history. A few of them, we are mentioning below:

• The Jagadishwar Temple
• The Gangasagar Lake
• The Jijamata Palace
• Raigad Museum

Best Time To Visit Raigad Fort

The best time to visit this Raigad Fort is from November to March because during these months there will be winter and you will not get any kind of hurdles like rain or intense sun. The activities like trekkings are completely stopped during the heavy rainy seasons for security reasons and summers are too hot with temperature going up to 50degrees.

How to Reach Raigad Fort?

The best way to reach the fort is by road. Once you reach Pachad village by road you can take ropeway which will make you reach the fort in just 4 minutes. If you like to trek then you can also take the alternate way to reach this fort and climb the stairs which are approximately near to 1737.

The nearest station available to reach this fort is Mangaon.

Conclusion

This is a place of rich historical significance and it is still standing strong. You can still feel the presence of Shivaji Maharaj’s majestic kingdom which is enthralling.

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