RAIGAD

 

Raigad is a hill fort situated in Mahad, Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the strongest fortresses on the Deccan Plateau. Many constructions and structures on Raigad were built by Shivaji Maharaj and Chief Engineer was Hirojee Indulkar.Rajgad has been the first capital of the Maratha empire and continued to be the capital for 26 years. Rajgad is the first fort built by Shivaji.Known as the “Gibraltar of the East” by the Europeans, the Raigad Fort is a majestic and aesthetically appealing hill fort in the district of Raigad, Maharashtra. Located 820 meters above sea level in the Sahyadri mountain range, the fort can be accessed by a single pathway comprising of 1737.Raigad Fort is one of the most important forts in the history of Marathas, being the first capital of independent Marathi kingdom or “Hindavi Swarajya”. Graded as the most secured and most appropriate location by the King himself, the fort stands proudly showing the strength of the Maratha Empire.Formerly known as Murumdev, the fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire under the rule of Shivaji for almost 26 years, after which the capital was moved to the Raigad Fort. Treasures discovered from an adjacent fort called Torna were used to completely build and fortify the Rajgad Fort.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.

Architect: Hiroji Indulkar

Height: 1,356 metres (4,400 ft) ASL

Opened: 1030

Owner: Government of India

Burials: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jijabai

Materials: Stone, Lead