Elevation 820 m (2,700 ft)रायगड Elevation 820 m (2,700 ft)

Location Mahad

र डRaigad – The Capital of Shivaji

RaigadRaigad is a hill fortress situated in the modern day Raigad district of g y g

Maharashtra, India. 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 p p y g j y

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 y g pp y pleading 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.Shivaji Maharaj had seized the site then the fortress of Rairi from the royalShivaji Maharaj had seized the site, then the fortress of Rairi, from the royal house of the Chandarrao Mores, a junior or Cadet dynasty descended from the ancient Maurya imperial dynasty. The last More king (or raja) was a feudatory of the Sultan of Bijapur. Shivaji renovated and expanded the feudatory of the Sultan of ijapur. Shivaji renovated and expanded the

Fortress of Rairi and renamed it Raigad (the King's Fort), the name he gave it when he selected it for his capital when he founded the Maratha empire. Raigad, a hill fortress situated in Raigad District of Maharashtra, India was g , g ,

capital of Shivaji's kingdom.

RaigadThe fort's ruins today consist of the queen's quarters, consisting of six chambers, with each chamber having its own private commode with plumbing. The main palace was constructed using wood, of which only the bases of pillars remain. Ruins of three watch towers can be seen directly in front of the palace grounds overlooking an artificial lake called Ganga Sagar Lake created next to the fort. It g g galso has a view of the execution point called Takmak Tok, a cliff from which the sentenced prisoners were thrown to their death. This areas is now fenced off.]. The fort also has ruins of the market, and it has such structure that one can shop 

even while riding or sitting astride a horseeven while riding or sitting astride a horse.

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 p g j y g gused 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 ownavenue that eventually leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir and his own 

Samadhi(tomb) and that of his dog Waghya.

KedareshwarTemple

Gangasagar Talao

Darbar

Gangasagar

Market place

g gShivaji Statue

Rani Mahal

MTDC

Mena Darwaja

Trolley way

Rope way

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Time for a break

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Suhas and Amar

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Dharap, Sandesh, Suhas and Amar

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Dharap, Nagesh and Suhas

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Rajeev, Avinash, Yuvraj and Heramb

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Long view of Raigad in clouds

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Jijamata's (Shivaji's mother) samadhi at Pachad, a a village at the foothills of Raigad

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Ropeway to Swarg?

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Route to Raigad

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Dharap and Srinath

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Young girl from the village who's mother arranged dinner, morning tea and later breakfast

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Group leaving MTDC for Raigad darshan

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Mena Dawaja

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Nagesh

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

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Dharap

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Hot bhajiya and tea

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Bhajiya preparation in full swing

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Omlet bread, Bhajiya bread at a tapari on Raigad

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Yuvraj, Avinash, Amar, Danish, Papori and Suhas Heramb, Dharap, Nagesh and Srinath

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Rajeev, Yuvraj, Papori, Sandesh, Danish, Suhas Anil, Amar, Dharap, Nagesh and Avinash Heramb

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Mahadarwaja (main entrance)

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Nagesh

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A late lunch in restaurant on Mumbai-Goa highway

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Dharap, Nagesh and Srinath

Visit to Raigad in summer by rope way

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Ropeway

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Top end of ropeway

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Trolley upto raigad top for elderly people

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Rani mahal

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Watch Tower (total 3)

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Artificial lake - Gangasagar

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Watch towers and Rani mahal (behind)

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Bajarpeth (market place)

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Symbollic name of a trader - Nagappa

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Jagadishwar Mandir

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Jagadishwar Mandir

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"Sewechiye Tatpar, Hiroji Indulkar" carved on a step of Jagadishwar Temple

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Hanuman Satue inside Jagadishwar Temple

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Jagadishwar (Shiv)

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A man playing sanai,just great

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Shivaji's smadhi (tomb)

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Walls of the fort as seen from Takmak tok

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Rani Mahal and Watch Towers as seen from Takmak tok

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Potalyacha Dongar (hill) from where Raigad was attacked by Englishmen

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Early morning view of mountains around Raigad

Un spoilt

Un hurried

Un touched

Un confined

Un expected

Un conquered

Un paralleledUn paralleled

Un matched

Un stressed

Standing as silent sentinels to history are the 350‐odd forts of Maharashtra. Beaten by 

Un stressed

Un limited

g y ythe sea waves, lashed at by the torrential Deccan rains, or scorched in the blazing sun, 

stand imposing ramparts and crumbling walls , the last lingering memories of Maharashtra's martial times. Nowhere in the country would you encounter such a 

profusion of forts. And such variety. Sited on an island, or guarding the seas or among the Sahyadri hills, whose zig‐zag walls and rounded bastions sit like a scepter and 

crown amidst hills turned mauve.