Rajgad (literal meaning ''Ruling Fort'') is a Hill region fort situated in the

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

district of Maharashtra, India. Formerly known as ''Murumdev'', the fort was the first capital of the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Sh ...

under the rule of

Chhatrapati Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilsh ...

for almost 26 years, after which the capital was moved to the

Raigad Fort Raigad is a hill fort situated in Mahad, Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the strongest fortresses on the Deccan Plateau. It was previously known as Rairee or Rairy fort. Many constructions and structures on Raigad were ...

. Treasures discovered from an adjacent fort called Torna were used to completely build and fortify the Rajgad Fort. The Rajgad Fort is located around to the south-west of Pune and about west of Nasrapur in the Sahyadris range. The fort lies above the sea level. The diameter of the base of the fort was about which made it difficult to lay siege on it, which added to its strategic value. The fort's ruins consist of palaces, water cisterns, and caves. This fort was built on a hill called Murumbadevi Dongar (''Mountain of the Goddess Murumba''). Rajgad boasts of the highest number of days stayed by Shivaji on any fort.

History

The fort has stood witness to many significant historic events including the birth of Chhatrapati Shivaji's son

Rajaram I Rajaram Bhosle I (Pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒaɾaːm – 3 March 1700) was the third '' Chhatrapati'' of Maratha Empire, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of the Shivaji, the founder of the empire and younger half ...

, the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji's wife Saibai, the return of

Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adil ...

from

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...

, the burial of Afzal Khan's head in the Mahadarwaja walls of Balle Killa, the strict words of Sonopant Dabir to

. The Rajgad Fort was also one of the 12 forts that

kept when he signed the Treaty of Purandar in 1665, with the Mughal general Jai Singh I, leader of the Mughal forces. Under this treaty, 23 forts were handed over to the Mughals.

List of chronological events

Tourism

The fort is a significant tourist destination and is most sought after especially during

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

. Visitors prefer to stay overnight on the fort considering the fort itself is huge and cannot be explored in a single day. The Padmavati temple on the fort can accommodate around 50 people. Water tanks provide fresh water all throughout the year. Villagers from the foothills of Rajgad sell local antiques and items to these tourists.

Gallery

File:Gadancha Raja, Rajancha Gad.jpg, The Fort File:Rajgad 28.JPG File:Rajgad Fort.jpg File:Rajgad 30.JPG File:Rajgad 37.JPG File:Rajgad3.jpg File:Rajgad5.jpg File:Rajgad012.jpg File:Bali Khila Rajgad Maharashtra.jpg, Bale Killa, Rajgad File:Ballekilla, Rajgad.jpg, Ballekilla, Rajgad File:Sanjivani Machi-view from Rajgad Mahadwar.jpg, Sanjivani Machi-view from Rajgad Mahadwar File:.... Rajgad 16.JPG, Rajgad

References

External links