Raigad

About:

'Rajgad' - the name describes the place itself. The king of all the forts. The fort of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He spent almost 25/30 yrs here. The place of historical importance, very near from Pune. Rajgad is south-west 40 Kms from Pune. Rajgad is famous for its construction. Fort is of 1350 Mtrs. high, Rajgad is famous for its Padmavati Machi, Sanjivani Machi ,Suvela Machi and 'Bale killa' - the pride of Maharashtra. It is almost 500 feet high and really difficult to climb.

The Maratha king Shivaji made the fort his capital in 1674 when he was crowned King of a Maratha Kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire eventually covering majority of modern day India.The fort, which rises 820 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. There are approximately 1400–1450 steps leading to the fort, though today a rope-way exists to reach the top of the fort. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege.

This is the very heart of Maratha country -- Raigad, the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji's kingdom. Strategically perched atop a wedge-shaped block of hill, split off from the Western Ghats and inaccessible from three sides. Stories of incredible valour and heroic deeds are etched on every pebble at Raigad. It was here that Chhatrapati Shivaji built his capital city in the 17th century, and here that he crowned himself Chhatrapati. For six years upto his death, Raigad remained the capital of the Marathas with its broad gates and magnificent monuments. There was only one pathway leading to the top, and prizes were offered to those who scaled the fort through unconventional methods. Though parts of Raigad are in ruins, yet they inspire an aura of grandeur.

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The king's public Durbar has a replica of the original throne that faces the main doorway called the Nagarkhana Darwaja. This enclosure had been acoustically designed to aid hearing from the doorway to the throne. A secondary entrance, called the Mena Darwaja, was supposedly the private entrance of the royal ladies of the fort; it leads to the queen's quarters. The erstwhile main entrance to the fort is the imposing Maha Darwaja. The convoy of the king and the king himself used the Palkhi Darwaja. To the right of Palkhi Darwaja, is a row of three dark and deep chambers. Historians believe that these were the granaries for the fort.

A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji is erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that eventually leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir and his own Samadhi (tomb) and that of his dog Waghya.

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Padmavati Machi is main place of the fort. The Padmavati temple, lake and two houses on the machi are important places to watch for. The temple is very old and the only place to rest for the trekkers. One can also see 'Chor Darawaja' and 'Pali Darwaja' on the machi. Suvela Machi is one of the strongest places on the fort. It is very difficult to climb but one can see a hilarious view from this place. The third machi - Sanjivani is very beautiful too. One can go to Torana from Sanjivani machi which takes almost 8 hrs to reach.

'Bale killa' is one of the best fort in Maharashtra. It is very difficult to climb. One can see various places and forts especially from Rajgadh. It includes Torana, Raireshwar, Mahabaleshwar, Raigad, Raigad, Lingana, Bhatghar, Tung, Visapur and Sinhagad etc.

You can also visit Gangasagar Lake or worship at the nearby Jagadishwar Temple or pay your respects to the great Maratha king at his Samadhi.

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Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation:

• Hotel Sea Face
• Kamath Hotel
• Apsara Hotel
• Hotel Visava

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Nearest Hospital:

• Tata Memorial
  
• Kem Hospital
  
• JJ Hospital