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Things To Know Before You Go To Raigad Fort

Raigad is a hill fort situated in the Mahad, Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Raigad Fort was seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and made it his capital in 1674 when he was crowned as the King of a Maratha Kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire, eventually covering much of western and central India.
The majestic Raigad fort is accessible only from one side through a pathway which has about 1737 steps as the other three sides are surrounded by deep valleys. Alternatively, one can take the ropeway to reach the fort top in 4 minutes.
The Raigad fort is of great pride for the Marathas. This is a reminder of the bravery and audacity. The Raigad fort is not just a tourist spot; it is a sacred place of pilgrimage which holds the imprints of the grand vision of Hindavi Swarajya as cherished by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Raigad Fort was known as the mountain of “Rairi” before it was captured by Shivaji Maharaj. Due to its impregnability, Raigad was known as “Gibraltar of East” by Europeans.
The Raigad Fort was built by great Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the chief architect of Raigad fort was Hiroji Indulkar. The main palace was constructed using wood, of which only the base pillars remain. The main fort ruins consist of the queen's quarters, six chambers, with each chamber having its own private restroom.
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 Raigad fort has a famous wall called "Hirakani Buruj" (Hirakani Bastion) constructed over a huge steep cliff. In appreciation of courage and bravery of a woman 'Hirakani' from a nearby village, Shivaji Maharaj built the Hirakani Bastion over this cliff. The legendary Hirakani courageously climbed down the steep cliff in pitch dark all for her child.
The ruins of the queen's quarters at Main fort.

Nagarkhana Darwaja

Nagarkhana Darwaja is a main doorway to King's court facing replica of the original throne. 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 for the royal ladies. The convoy of the king and the king himself used the Palkhi Darwaja.
The statue of Chatrapati Shivaji is erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir and his own Samadhi (grave) and that of his loyal dog named Waghya.