Welcome to Fort Raigad...!!!!

"Fort Raigad is much more than a mere tourist spot. It is
a sacred place of pilgrimage, which has left an imprint of
the grand vision of Hindavi Swarajya as cherished by
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj."
Fort Raigad was the capital of the most illustrious
Maratha sovereign, nurtured by Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj. It is a monument of his prophetic vision of
Hindavi Swarajya.
This is a preamble prior to your electrifying excursion
around Fort Raigad. It has been described by European
historians as 'The Gibralter of East' . Various landmarks
have lent it the credo of 'Shivtirth' . The holy shrine has
become vibrant by the valour, courage and patriotism of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The sheer vertical rock face tearing into the sky above,
appears defiant and insurmountable. It has stemmed
many a foreign aggression and protected the Hindavi
Swarajya during those historic times.
When he first saw the place, Shivaji Maharaj could not
help exclaim:
"This Fort is formidable. All sides appear as if chiselled
from a mountain of solid rock. Not even a blade of grass
grows on the sheer vertical rock. This is a paragon to
house the throne".
At the foothills near village Pachad, is Chit Darwaja, also
known as Jit Darwaja. After gruelling foot-slogging, you
reach Khoob Ladha Buruj . It is a strategically located
turret, from where an aggressor attacking from either
flank could be repelled. Nearly a mile ahead, after a
difficult climb comes the
Maha Darwaja. Built over
350 years ago, this main
entrance to the Fort
stands majestically. It is
as imposing and stout
today, as it was then!
The design of this Maha
Darwaja is an enigma. It defies detection of its location
to the attacker. Blind curves enroute make it impossible
for the attacker to use elephants to knock it down. In
the battle of those historic times, elephants were used
to demolish fort entrances.
A steep climb of nearly 1450 steps and three and a half
hours of extreme demands on your physical stamina,
leaves you too exhausted. The magic mantra - Raigad
Ropeway - has opened a new chapter of sightseeing -
the Fort Raigad. It whisks you to the top, through the
clouds and whistling winds, in just 4 minutes. Gone is
its exhausting inaccessibility. Now you have all the
energy and time to enjoy the sightseeing! Well-trained
and courteous guides are at hand to give you a
conducted tour of the Fort.
The Ropeway lands you at the top of the fort near Mena
Darwaja. This was the special entrance for the royal
ladies and the queens. To the left of Mena Darwaja is
the Rani Vasa or "Queens' Chambers". They are six in
number and were being used by the mother of Shiv
Chhatrapati - Jeeja Mata, Soyarabai, Putalabai and other
royal ladies.
In front of the Rani Vasa
is the Palkhi Darwaja. A
special entrance for the
convoy of Shivaji
Maharaj. On the right
side of Mena Darwaja, is
the office complex of 8
principal secretaries of
Shivaji Maharaj. To the right of Palkhi Darwaja, there is a
row of three dark chambers. Historians believe that
these were the granaries for the fort.
To the right of the granaries is the palace of Shivaji
Maharaj. It is called the Raj Bhavan, where he dispensed
justice in petty and routine matters. The palace rests on
a double plinth and had wooden columns to support the
palatial structure. The Raj Bhavan is a mute witness to
the joys, sorrows, anger, victories and overwhelming
generosity of Shiv Chhatrapati. The plinth adjoining Raj
Bhavan, holds two large water tanks and by its side, is
the location of the Royal Bath. Excellent toilet and
drainage system highlights the structural design of that
era. To the east of Raj Bhavan is in an open space, there
is an underground cellar. It was used for secret
dialogues, worshipping Bhavani Mata and for storing
war booty after the raid on Surat.
The fort has many huge water reservoirs, one of which is
the picturesque Ganga Sagar . Two main entrances from
the Royal Palace open in
to a sprawling lawn. This
is the Raj Sabha. It has
witnessed the splendour
of the glorious
coronation of Shiv
Chhatrapati. The
shackles of 300 years of
slavery were broken and Shivaji Maharaj proclaimed
establishment of Hindavi Swarajya! The magnificent
throne, studded with diamonds and gold, rested on
eight columns of pure gold weighing almost 1000 kilos.
It also bears the royal emblem of Shivaji Maharaj. The
umbrella over the throne was adorned with strings of
precious stones and pearls.
Entry for common public to Raj Sabha was through the
Nagarkhana. In those times, the royal band played here
round the clock. It is an excellent example of
architecture and miraculous acoustics. The distance
between 'Nagarkhana and the Royal Throne is more than
200 feet, yet even the slightest whisper can be heard
from both ends very clearly.
Holi Cha Mal, is outside the Nagarkhana. It is a wide
open ground, used for annual Holi festival. There is a
temple of Shirkai Bhavani , a presiding deity of the Fort.
In front of Holi Cha Mal, there is a spacious and well
laid-out marketplace. It is built on a high plinth and is
separated by a 40-foot wide road leading to the
Jagadishwar Temple. Adjacent to this temple, is the
most revered place on Fort Raigad, the Samadhi of Shiv
Chhatrapati. The Samadhi is intact and well-maintained,
even today, due to the personal initiative of Lokmanya
Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Other places of interest are ammunition depot, Bara
Tanki i.e. more than a
dozen huge water
reservoirs, Rameshwar
Mandir, Wagh Darwaja,
Takmak Tok - an
execution place for the
proclaimed criminals,
etc. These are testimony
to the valour, courage and ultimate sacrifice of Maratha
soldiers, who made Hindavi Swarajya a reality.
Wish you a happy and fruitful excursion around the fort!