Raigad Fort is a magnificent hill fortress, situated in the
Raigad district of Maharashtra. It lies approximately 125 km away from Pune and
serves as one of the major excursion of the city. The fort once served as the
capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Great Maratha king, in the 1674. It was
around this time only that Shivaji was crowned the King of a Marathi kingdom.
Perched at an altitude of 1350 m (4530 ft) above sea level, Raigarh fort falls
under the Sahyadri Mountain range of India.
The ruler had seized the fortress, then known as Rairi, from
the Chandarrao Mores, a junior dynasty that had descended from Mauryan imperial
dynasty. After taking over the Rairi Fort, Shivaji Maharaj got it completely
renovated and renamed it as Raigad (the King's Fort). One has to climb
approximately 1400-1500 steps in order to reach the top of the fort. Those who
do not want to walk the entire way can take ropeway, which has been built
solely for the convenience of the visitors.
The main structures inside the Raigad Fort, which today
stands mostly in ruins, comprise of Queen's Quarters, Public Durbar, Watch
Towers, Darwazas (gateways), etc. The Queen's Quarters consist of six chambers
in toto, meant for the queen and her attendants. The main place situated inside
the fort was largely constructed out of wood. However, apart from its base,
made up of pillars, hardly anything else remains. One can also be witness to
the ruins of the three watch towers, which were once used to spot any threat
from a distance.
From the palace grounds, you can still see Takmak Tok, a
cliff that served as the 'execution point' from which prisoners were thrown
into the ravine below. The Public Darbar of the king today houses a replica of
the original throne. The main doorway of the darbar, known as the Nagarkhana
Darwaja, faces the throne. The secondary entrance was called the Mena Darwaja
and was meant to provide private entrance to the royal ladies of the fort. It
ultimately leads to the Queen's Quarters.
The main entrance of the Raigarh Fort comprises of the Maha
Darwaja, which is colossal and provided protection from the enemies. However,
the king as well as his convoy used to move through the Palkhi Darwaja. The
three dark and deep chambers, situated to right of the Palkhi Darwaja, are
believed to have served as the granaries of the fort. One of the main
attractions of the Raigad Fort is a magnificent statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji,
sited opposite the ruins of the main market avenue. The samadhi (tomb) of Shivaji
and his dog Waghya is situated near the avenue only.
Raigad Fort is worth visiting over the Weekend with your
family, kids or even as part of project group. You may cover it over Saturday
Sunday or can add it as one of your destination while visiting other places in
coastal Konkan like Dapoli-Murud-Harnai .
How to Reach
Route from Mumbai: Take NH17 from Mumbai - Panvel- Mahad via
Lonera Phata and Dasagon - Raigad. Ropeway is available from foot hills to the
top of the fort. Fee : Rs.140/-.
By Air: Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International airport (140
km) is the nearest airport. All the major airlines have service from Mumbai to
all major cities in India and many cities abroad. Hire a taxi from here to
Raigad. The other nearest airport is at Pune, 126 kms.
By Train : Vir Dasgaon railway station
(40kms) is the nearest railhead which is connected to Mumbai and Pune with
regular trains. Taxis are available from Vir Dasgaon to Raigad.
By Bus : State transport offer ply from
Mumbai and Pune to Raigad. Raigad is well connected to all neighboring cities
by the public transport buses, including Kolhapur (250 km), Pune (150 km),
Mumbai (140 km) and Mahabaleshwar (75 km).
