Raigad Fort

{{Infobox military installation

| name = Raigad Fort

| partof =

| location = Raigad District, Maharashtra
(near Mahad)

| image = Nagarkhana, Raigad Fort, India.jpg

| caption = Raigad Fort Nagarkhana

| pushpin_map = India Maharashtra#India

| pushpin_mapsize = 300

| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Maharashtra

| coordinates = {{coord|18.2335|73.4406|type:landmark_region:IN-MH|format=dms|display=inline, title}}

| type = Hill fort

| code =

| height = {{convert|1356|m|ft|-2}} ASL

| architect = Sardar Hiroji Indulkar

| ownership = *Shirke Family (before 1656)

Maratha Kingdom (1656–1689; 1739–1818)
Mughal Empire (1689–1739)
East India Company (1818–1858)
Government of India

| open_to_public = Yes

| condition =

| built = For Maratha Empire

| used =

| materials = Basalt, Granite, Lime mortar

| demolished =

| battles = Battle of Raigarh

| current_commander =

| past_commanders = {{ubl|Chhatrapati Shivaji|Chhatrapati Sambhaji}}

| occupants =

| events = Coronation of Shivaji (6 June 1674), Sambhaji (16 January 1681), Rajaram (11 March 1689)

}}

Raigad, seen in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India, is a hill fort located in the city of Mahad. It is one of the strongest fortresses on the Deccan Plateau and was historically referred to as Rairee or Rairy fort.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/this-is-why-you-should-visit-maharashtras-raigad-fort/articleshow/65783005.cms|title=This is why you should visit Maharashtra's Raigad Fort|first=Resham|last=Sengar|newspaper=The Times of India}}

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha ruler, along with his chief engineer Hiroji Indulkar, did the construction and development of various buildings and structures, including Raigad. In 1674, after being crowned the king of the Maratha Kingdom of the Konkan, Shivaji Maharaj chose Raigad as the capital of his Hindavi Swaraj.{{cite web | title =Raigarh |publisher=Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 21|pages= 47–48|year=1909| url = https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V21_053.gif| access-date = 2014-02-19 }}

Located at an elevation of {{convert|820|m|ft|-2}} above its base and {{cvt|1,356|m}} above sea level within the Sahyadri mountain range, the fort offers views of the surrounding area. The fort was home to around 1,550 people having an average family size of 5 people. Accessing the fort requires ascending approximately 1,737 steps. Alternatively, visitors can opt for the Raigad Ropeway, an aerial tramway spanning {{cvt|750|m}} in length and reaching a height of {{cvt|400|m}}, which conveniently transports them from the ground to the fort in just four minutes.

Major features

File:MahaDarwaja Raigad Fort.JPG

File:Jijamata Samadhi at Pachad, Raigadh, Maharashtra.jpg

The main palace was constructed using wood, of which only the base pillars remain. The main fort ruins consist of the queen's quarters, and six chambers, with each chamber having its private restroom. The chambers do not have any windows. In addition, ruins of three watch towers can be seen directly in front of the palace grounds out of which only two remain as the third one was destroyed during a bombardment. The fort also overlooks an artificial lake known as the Ganga Sagar Lake.{{cite book|title=Forts of India|last=Verma|first=Amrit|year=1985|publisher=The Director of Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|location=New Delhi|pages=86–9|isbn=81-230-1002-8}}

The only main pathway to the fort passes through the "Maha Darwaja" (Huge Door) which was previously closed at sunset. The Maha Darwaja has two huge bastions on both sides of the door which are approximately {{cvt|65–70|ft|order=flip}} in height. The top of the fort is {{cvt|600|ft|order=flip}} above this door.

The king's court, inside the Raigad Fort, has a replica of the original throne that faces the main doorway called the Nagarkhana Darwaja. It faces the East Side. It was here where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Rajabhishek took place. This enclosure had been acoustically designed to aid hearing from the doorway to the throne. A secondary entrance, called the Mena Darwaja on the south side, was supposedly the private entrance for the royal ladies of the fort that lead to the queen's quarters. The convoy of the king and the king himself used the Palkhi Darwaja. on the north side. 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.{{Cite web |url=http://www.raigadropeway.com/fort.htm |title=Write-up from the Raigad ropeway |access-date=13 January 2007 |archive-date=5 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105182232/http://raigadropeway.com/fort.htm |url-status=dead }}

From the fort, one can view the execution point called Takmak Tok, a cliff from which sentenced prisoners were thrown to their death. This area has been fenced off.{{cite book|last=Gunaji|first=Milind|title=Offbeat Tracks in Maharashtra|publisher=Popular Prakashan|year=2005|pages=41|isbn=81-7154-669-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JIjmDLardesC&q=raigad+fort&pg=PA41|access-date=2009-03-17}}

A statue of Shivaji is erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir, which has Sardar Hiroji Indulkar's name engraved on the first step, his own Samadhi and that of his dog named Waghya. The Samadhi of Rajmata Jijabai, Shivaji's mother, can be seen at the base village of Pachad. Additional attractions of the fort include the Khubladha Buruj, Nane Darwaja and the Hatti Talav (Elephant Lake). Henry Oxienden was on the fort from 13 May to 13 June 1674 & he quoted "We arrived at the top of that strong mountain about sun set, which is fortified by nature more than art, being off very difficult access, and but one advance to it, which is guarded by two narrow gates, and fortified with a strong high wall, and bastions thereto. All the other parte of the mountaine is a direct precipice, so that it is impregnable except the treachery of some in it betrays it. On the Mountain are many strong buildings, as the Raja's Court, and houses for other Ministers of State, to the number of about 300, It is in length about 21 miles and breadth * a mile, but no pleasant trees nor any sort of grains grows thereon. Our house was about a mile from the Raja's Palace, into which we retired with no little content."

=''Hirakani Buruj''=

The fort has a historic buruj called "Hirakani Buruj" (Hirakani Bastion) constructed over a huge steep cliff. The legend goes "that a milkmaid named as Hirakani from a nearby village had come to sell milk to the people living at the fort. She happened to be inside the fort when the gates got closed and locked at sunset. Hearing the cries of her infant son back at the village echo after nightfall, the anxious mother couldn't wait till dawn and courageously climbed down the steep cliff in pitch darkness all for the love of her little one. She later repeated this extraordinary feat in front of Shivaji and was rewarded for her bravery." Noticing that this was a potential loophole, Shivaji built a bastion over the cliff and named it after the milkmaid as Hirakani Buruj.{{Cite book |last=Gunaji |first=Milind |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHA9SzLMj3EC&q=hirkani&pg=PA87 |title=Offbeat Tracks in Maharashtra |date=2010 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7991-578-3 |language=en}}

Incidents

The statue of Chatrapati Shivaji's pet dog was removed by alleged members of the Sambhaji Brigade{{cite news|title=73 held for removing Shivaji's dog's statue from Raigad fort|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_73-held-for-removing-shivaji-dogs-statue-from-raigad-fort_1723352|access-date=4 August 2012|newspaper=DNA}} in July 2012 as a protest but was re-instated by Shivaji Raigad Smarak Samiti, the Archaeological Survey of India, sculptor Rambhau Parkhi and the District Administration.{{cite news|title=Vaghyacha putala punha basavala|url=http://72.78.249.107/Sakal/3Aug2012/Enlarge/PuneCity/page8.htm|access-date=4 August 2012|newspaper=Sakal}}

Ropeway

The "Raigad Ropeway" is a ropeway which provides passenger transportation to the fort. Prior to the ropeway the only way to ascend Raigad fort was to trek to it, which took an hour. The Ropeway makes this site relatively more accessible to those not in a physical condition to make this trek. The Raigad Ropeway project is a non-profit endeavour, being the only one of its kind in India. This facility is owned by the Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Mandal, (SSRSM) Pune, an organisation started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1886.{{cite web |url=http://www.raigadropeway.com/ropeway.htm |title=The Ropeway |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2009-07-02 |publisher=Raigad Ropeway|access-date=2011-03-05}}{{cite web |url=http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/lyr2000/raug2000/r01082000.html |title=WEBSITE ON FORT RAIGAD INAUGURATED |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=August 2000|publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |access-date=2011-03-05}} Construction of this Ropeway was completed in 1996.

In 1990, the SSRSM was permitted by the government of Maharashtra to construct the ropeway. An offer of Rupees Eighty Million, received from a Central Government firm, from Naini, Allahabad, was considered to be unviable. Subsequently Jog Engineering Limited offered to execute the project on a Build–operate–transfer basis in 1994, at a cost of INR 31 Million, and the same was accepted by SSRSM.

The construction work commenced in November 1994, and was completed by March 1996. The project was inaugurated by Prof. Rajendra Singh, Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The ascent is 420 m and the rope length is 760 m. The motor capacity is 52.22 kW and the cabin weight is 100 kg each.

=Ropeway Museum=

The ropeway project includes a museum which was created by Babasaheb Purandare and Ninad Bedekar.

Gallery

File:Raigad fort towers.jpg|Towers a.k.a. Manore

File:Raigad 1896.jpg|Raigad in 1896

File:Raigad fort walls hidden in the green.JPG|Fortification of the Raigad Fort

File:RaigadFort1.jpg|Raigad Fort Palace Ruins

File:Inscripted name of the architect of Raigad.JPG|Chief Architect Hiroji Indulkar inscription

File:Total view of fort.jpg|Manore view

File:Outer view of shiv temple.jpg|Jagdishwar temple

File:Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Samadhi Raigad.jpg|Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Samadhi (memorial)

File:Shilalekh at Raigadh.jpg|Inscription at Jagdishwar temple

File:Palace at Raigad Fort.jpg|Rajsadar of Raigad fort

File:Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his throne.jpg|Throne of Maratha Empire (Meghdambri/ Sinhasan)

File:Wagh Darwaza of Raigad fort.jpg|Wagh Darwaza

File:Mahadarwaza and fortification of Raigad fort.jpg|Mahadarwaza and fortification

File:Ropeway trolleys.JPG|Raigad Ropeway trolleys

File:Opes of Raigad Ropeway.JPG |Raigad Ropeway ropes

File:Riagad Ropeway Information.JPG |Raigad Ropeway Information in Marathi

In popular culture

Many scenes of web series 'The secret of the Shiledars' were shot at Raigad Fort.{{Cite web |last=ITINERARY |first=INDIA |date=2025-01-30 |title=The Secret Of The Shiledars Shooting Locations |url=https://india-itinerary.com/2025/01/30/the-secret-of-the-shiledars-shooting-locations/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=India-Itinerary - Itineraries for Independent travelers |language=en-US}} Some scenes of the 2025 Hindi film Chhaava were shot on-location at Raigad.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}