Raigad Fort – The Gibralter of the East

 “Hindavi Swarajya whaw hich shreenchi echaa….” Raigad is not just a fort this is a tribute to Shivaji Maharaj.

                Raigad Fort, also called as ‘the Gibralter of the east’ was the invincible capital of the legendary king Sivaji. Placed at an altitude of 2700 feet on an irregular wedge-shaped mass of rock, Raigad fort is inaccessible from three sides. A massive fort, nested on a steep vertical rock face, appears defiant and insurmountable.

Fort Raigad is much more than a mere tourist spot. It is a sacred place of pilgrimage, which has left an imprint of the grand vision of Hindavi Swarajya as cherished by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

This Fort presents a terrifying look and it is very difficult to get into the fort through the rocky path. All sides appear as if it fell down from a huge mass of solid rock. Raigad ropeway that is inaugurated recently makes the ascent to the fort very easy.

Now the fort features certain new structures like the Samadhi of Shivaji and his loyal dog along with the ruins of the old structures. The most stunning site on Raigad Fort is the Balekilla, from where one can see the implausible views of the enchanting Sahyadris and the propitious Bhatghar Lake. The top of the Balekilla offers a panoramic view of the forts of Purandar, Vichitragad, Rayreshwar, Lohgad, Visapur, Tikona and Sinhagad.

The Ropeway lands you at the top of the fort near Mena Darwaja. This was the special entrance for the royal ladies and the queens. To the left of Mena Darwaja is the Rani Vasa or "Queens' Chambers". They are six in number and were being used by the mother of Shiv Chhatrapati - Jeeja Mata, Soyarabai, Putalabai and other royal ladies.

Entry for common public to Raj Sabha was through the Nagarkhana. In those times, the royal band played here round the clock. It is an excellent example of architecture and miraculous acoustics. The distance between 'Nagarkhana and the Royal Throne is more than 200 feet, yet even the slightest whisper can be heard from both ends very clearly.

Though in a dilapidated state, this magnificent fort stands as a remnant of its past glory.

The fort was built by Chandrarao Mores in 1030. fort ruins today consist of the queen's quarters, consisting of six chambers, with each chamber having its own private restroom . The main palace was constructed using wood, of which only the bases of pillars remain. Ruins of three watch towers can be seen directly in front of the palace grounds overlooking an artificial lake called Ganga Sagar Lake created next to the fort. It also has a view of the execution point called Takmak Tok, a cliff from which the sentenced prisoners were thrown to their death. This area is now fenced off. The fort also has ruins of the market, and it has such structure that one can shop even while riding on a horse.

The fort has a famous wall called "Hirakani Buruj" constructed over a huge cliff. It is at this place that A woman by the name of "Hirakani" from a nearby village at the foothills of Raigad had come to sell off milk to the people living in the fort.She failed to reach back to her son and was locked inside the fort as the gates were locked by sunset.The love for her infant son gave her the courage to climb down the cliff in the dark. She repeated the feat in front of Shivaji Maharaj, and was rewarded for the same. In appreciation of her courage Shivaji Maharaj got a wall built at this location. Even today we can see it standing against the ravaging rains and winds,reminding us of the brave King and his brave countrymen!

The king's public Durbar has a replica of the original throne that faces the main doorway called the Nagarkhana Darwaja. 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 of the royal ladies of the fort; it leads to the queen's quarters. The erstwhile main entrance to the fort is the imposing Maha Darwaja. The convoy of the king and the king himself used the Palkhi Darwaja. To the right of Palkhi Darwaja, is a row of three dark and deep chambers. Historians believe that these were the granaries for the fort.

Architect of Raigad Fort

A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji is erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that eventually leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir and his own Samadhi (tomb) and that of his dog Waghya. The statue was removed by alleged members of the Sambhaji Brigade end July 2012 as a protest but was re-instated by Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Samiti, the Archaeological Survey of India, sculptor Rambhau Parkhi and the District Administration

Raigad Fort is awesome during rainy and winter season you can imagine from my pics.

There is one MTDC resort at Raigad

MTDC RESORT- Raigad Fort, Tal. Mahad, Dist. Raigad, Maharashtra where Check in/Check Out time 12.00 Noon.

http://www.indiatravelite.com/maharashtra/mtdcresortraigad.htm

Some Important link for interesting info about raigad : 

http://www.raigad-fort.info/

http://wikimapia.org/100709/Raigad-Fort

http://www.mustseeindia.com/Raigad-Raigad-Fort/attraction/12304