| Raigad Fort | |
|---|---|
| Raigad District,Maharashtra (nearMahad) | |
 Nagarkhana, Raigad Fort | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Hill fort |
| Controlled by |
|
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Location | |
  Raigad Fort Raigad Fort (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates | 18°14′01″N73°26′26″E / 18.2335°N 73.4406°E /18.2335; 73.4406 |
| Height | 1,356 metres (4,400 ft) ASL |
| Site history | |
| Built | Constructed between 1656 to 1674 underMaratha Empire |
| Architect | SardarHiroji Indulkar |
| In use | capital administration and military operations of the Maratha Empire |
| Materials | Basalt,Granite,Lime mortar |
| Events | Coronation of |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders | |
 Interactive map of Raigad Fort | |
| Part of | Maratha Military Landscapes of India |
| Criteria | Cultural: iv, vi |
| Reference | 1739-005 |
| Inscription | 2025 (47thSession) |
Raigad, seen in theRaigad district ofMaharashtra, India, is a hill fort located in the city ofMahad. It is one of the strongest fortresses on theDeccan Plateau and was historically referred to as Rairee or Rairy fort.[1]
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, theMaratha ruler, along with his chief engineerHiroji Indulkar, did the construction and development of various buildings and structures, including Raigad. In 1674, after being crowned the king of theMaratha Kingdom of theKonkan, Shivaji Maharaj chose Raigad as the capital of hisHindavi Swaraj.[2]
Located at an elevation of 820 metres (2,700 ft) above its base and 1,356 m (4,449 ft) above sea level within theSahyadri 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 theRaigad Ropeway, anaerial tramway spanning 750 m (2,460 ft) in length and reaching a height of 400 m (1,300 ft), which conveniently transports them from the ground to the fort in just four minutes.
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 abombardment. The fort also overlooks an artificial lake known as the Ganga Sagar Lake.[3]
The only main pathway to the fort passes through the "Maha Darwaja" (Great Door) which was previously closed at sunset. The Maha Darwaja has two huge bastions on both sides of the door which are approximately 20–21 m (65–70 ft) in height. The top of the fort is 180 m (600 ft) above this door.
The king's court, inside the Raigad Fort, has a replica of the original throne that faces the main doorway called theNagarkhana Darwaja. It faces the East Side. It was here where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj'sRajabhishek took place. This enclosure had been acoustically designed to aid hearing from the doorway to the throne. A secondary entrance, called theMena 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 thePalkhi Darwaja. on the north side. To the right ofPalkhi Darwaja, is a row of three dark and deep chambers. Historians believe that these were the granaries for the fort.[4]
From the fort, one can view the execution point calledTakmak Tok, a cliff from which sentenced prisoners were thrown to their death. This area has been fenced off.[5]
A statue of Shivaji is erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that leads to theJagdishwar Mandir, which has SardarHiroji Indulkar's name engraved on the first step, his ownSamadhi and that of his dog namedWaghya. 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."[3]
The fort has a historic buruj called "Hirakani Buruj" (Hirakani Bastion) constructed over a huge steep cliff.[6] 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.[3][7]
The statue of Chatrapati Shivaji's pet dog was removed by alleged members of theSambhaji Brigade[8] in July 2012 as a protest but was re-instated by Shivaji Raigad Smarak Samiti, theArchaeological Survey of India, sculptor Rambhau Parkhi and the District Administration.[9]
The "Raigad Ropeway" is aropeway 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 byBal Gangadhar Tilak in 1886.[10][11] 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 ofRupees 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 aBuild–operate–transfer basis in 1994, at a cost of INR 31 Million, and the same was accepted by SSRSM.[10]
The construction work commenced in November 1994, and was completed by March 1996. The project was inaugurated by Prof.Rajendra Singh,Sarsanghchalak of theRashtriya 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.[10]
The ropeway project includes a museum which was created byBabasaheb Purandare andNinad Bedekar.[10]
Many scenes of web series 'The secret of the Shiledars' were shot at Raigad Fort.[12] Some scenes of the 2025 Hindi filmChhaava were shot on-location at Raigad.[citation needed]
