Raigad Travel Guide

Raigad Fort stands at about 820 metres above sea level in the Sahyadri hills of the Konkan region, roughly 165 km from both Mumbai and Pune. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj made it the capital of the Maratha Empire and was crowned Chhatrapati here in June 1674, a coronation still marked every year at the fort. A ropeway now carries visitors most of the way up, though the original approach is a climb of more than a thousand stone steps. Within the fort, the Jagadishwar Temple, the Hirakani Buruj bastion, and Shivaji's samadhi (memorial) are the main stops, along with Takmak Tok, a cliff once used to punish criminals by throwing them off it. Raigad rewards travellers interested in Maratha history more directly than most Maharashtra forts, since it was the seat of power itself rather than a battle site.

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, renowned Maratha ruler, won this place in 1656 and his Maratha kingdom thus shifted base to Raigad. His prized win, the Raigad Fort is one of the main attractions of this place. The fort is built on an irregular mould of rock at a considerable height from the sea level. The Samadhi(tomb) of Shivaji is placed in this fort. Raigad is also known for it's other forts all once under the reign of Shivaji, it is primarily preferred by tourists because it has, as yet managed to preserve the culture of it's ancestors through it's historical sites, art and cuisine.