Raigad Fort

For those who are not fond of trekking, there is a ropeway to reach the Raigad Fort. It has a diagonal length of 760 metres and a steep ascent of 420 meters and it takes only 4 minutes. Through the whistling winds and spectacular lush greenery, the ropeway takes one to the top of this breathtaking fort. Along with the ropeway, the price also includes a visit to the museum and a film show. Here are the prices for different categories-

Two-Way Ticket
Adults: INR 285
Children (height between 3 to 4 feet only): INR 190
Senior Citizen (60 years completed. Age proof with photo ID needed): INR 190

(Two-Way Ticket) Group Discount
Adult Group (above No.25 to No.50): INR 270
Adult Group (above No.51): INR 265

(Two-Way Ticket) Physically Disabled
Adult, Child or Senior Citizen: INR 190

(Two-Way Ticket Local) 'Sthanik'
Adult, Child or Senior Citizen: INR 125
Local Guides: INR 105

(Two-Way Ticket) Govt servant on Duty
Adult: INR 190

One-Way Ticket: Up or Down
Common for Adults / Senior / Children: INR 175

In 2012, the Sambhaji Brigade held a protest at Raigad Fort and removed the statue of Chattrapati Shivaji's dog. It was re-instated later on by Archaeological Survey of India, Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Samiti, the sculptor Rambhau Parkhi and the district administration.

The ideal time to visit the Raigad fort is during November to March as winters are not harsh here. The weather remains pleasant, and you will enjoy trekking or ropeway the most during winters. Summers are hot in Raigad as the mercury reaches up to 50 degrees Celsius. Therefore, March to June is generally avoided by tourists.

Raigad fort is situated in Mahad, Raigad district of Maharashtra. There are no direct ways of reaching Raigad, and you need to break journey at several points. From Raigad hire a taxi and reach Pachad Village, the nearest point to the fort. Once you reach Pachad, you can either climb up the stairs if you love trekking. There are approximately 1737 steps leading to the fort. However, there is also the facility of Raigad Ropeway, an aerial tramway that helps to reach the fort in 4 minutes.

In the present time, except for Shivaji's samadhi, his coronation site and the Shiva temple, all the parts of the Raigad Fort are in ruins. The ruins of the fort today consist of the queen's quarters which includes six chambers, with each chamber having one restroom. The main palace was constructed using wood, out of which only the bases of the pillars remain now. There are ruins of the watchtowers, the citadel and the durbar hall which attract the visitors.

The magnificent fort has the Ganga Sagar Lake flowing right in front of it. There is also a famous wall called Hirakani Buruj or Hirkani Bastion, constructed on a cliff. Inside the Raigad Fort, there is a replica of the original throne which faces the Nagarkhana Darwaja, the main doorway. A secondary entrance, called the Mena Darwaja was used as the private entrance for the royal ladies. The door opened in the queen's chamber. The king and his convoy used the Palkhi Darwaja. There is a row of three dark chambers in the right of Palkhi Darwaja which are believed to be the granaries of the fort.

You can also view the execution point called Takmak Tok from where prisoners were thrown to death. The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir, his own Samadhi and that of his loyal dog, Waghya. The Samadhi of Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale, Shivaji's mother is situated at the base village of Pacha. Other famous attractions of the fort include the Khubladha Buruj, Nane Darwaja and the Hatti Talav.

This spectacular fort was built by Chandrarao Mores in 1030. It was known as the fort of Rairi and was seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1656 from the royal house of Chandrarao Mores, a junior or Cadet dynasty from the ancient Maurya Dynasty. The last More King was the feudatory of the Sultan of Bijapur. Shivaji renovated and expanded the fort of Rairi and then renamed it as Raigad which means the King's Fort. It was also considered as the capital of the Maratha kingdom.

Shivaji Maharaj also built fort Lingana near the Raigad Fort after capturing it. In 1689, Zulfikhar Khan captured Raigad and Aurangzeb renamed it as Islamgad. After this, the fort fell under Siddi Fathekan till 1733. In 1765, the fort became the target of the armed expedition by the British East India company. Finally, on 9 May 1818, it came under the rule of Britishers.