Raigad

Raigad is 3000 feet high above sea level. 'Rairi' was its original name. Shivaji's Coronation Ceremony took place over here.

After getting down at the Cheet Darwaja, to the right is a way to climb the fort. After crossing Valsura Khind and climbing about 90 steps you reach the Maha Darwaja. Another way to reach the fort is by the Wagh Darwaja, but is a very difficult path and often avoided by the tourists, but trekkers may like to go by this way. After climbing 100 mts from Maha Darwaja to the right is a Iron Pillar. 'Hatti Talav' falls to the Left. Before reaching the 'Main Darwaja' you cross the 'Ganga Sagar Talav' which is towards the Left. Going by this way you reach the Hirkani Buruj.


Raigad is a hill fortress situated in the Raigad District of Maharashtra, India. Chhatrapati Shivaji made the fort his capital after he constructed it between 1657 and 1670. In 1674, he was crowned King of Hindawi Swaraj in this fort, the formal name of what later developed into the Maratha Empire. The fort rises 869 metres above sea level and located on the Sahyadri range. There are around 1400-1450 steps leading to the fort, though today a rope-way exists to reach the fort. Most of fort was destroyed by a major fire that spanned five days during a British siege of the fort.

The Statue of Shivaji situated at he center of the fort is a beautiful one. Other places to see on the fort are Shirkai Temple, Jagdishwar Temple and Koli Lake. The 'Takmak Tok' is the most breezy spot on the fort. You can even see the arms and ammunition of those days on the fort. 'Bhavani Tok' is 2 kms away from the Wagh Darwaja. 'Kolimb Talav' is to the Left.

Torna, Rajgad and Lingana can be seen towards the East of Raigad. Towards the South are Vasota, Pratapgad and Makarandgad.

History
Shivaji had seized the site, then the fortress of Rairi, from the royal house of the Mores, a junior or Cadet dynasty descended from the ancient Maurya imperial dynasty. The last More king ("Raja") was a feudatory of the Sultan of Bijapur. Shivaji renovated and expanded the Fortress of Rairi and renamed it Raigad, or the King's Fort, the name he gave it when he selected it for his capital when he was in the process of assuming the royal character. Rajgad, a hill fortress situated in Pune District of Maharashtra, India was capital of Shivaji's kingdom before it was moved to Raigad.