Raigad Fort.

Raigad fort is a hill fort situated at a height of about 2700 feet above sea level near Mahad in Raigad district of Maharashtra. The fort was made capital of Maratha empire in the year 1674 by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The fort was captured by Shivaji Maharaj from Chandrarao More in 1656.

Raigad fort previously known as Rairi belonged to Mores of Javali, who were feudatories of Adilshahs of Bijapur. It was used as a prison cell by Adilshahs before Shivaji Maharaj took it over.

In 1818 the fort was bombarded with cannons and partly destroyed by  British forces and was controlled by East India Company.

Raigad Fort.

Raigad fort is about one and a half hours drive from Mahad. There is a ropeway which takes you to the fort within a span of 10 minutes. Alternately one has to climb about 1737 steps to reach the fort. There is a museum near the begining of the ropeway and a canteen at the top. Lodging and boarding facilities are available at Raigad fort.

Raigad fort which was partly destroyed by British cannons still shows some features which are reminiscent of  historical times. The ropeway takes you to Mena Darwaja Some of the places of interest are Takmak Tok (execution place),Wagh Darwaja, Bazarpeth ( market place) and Nagarkhana (entry place). Shivaji Maharaj's royal throne is seen about 200 meters from Nagarkhana. There is a lake inside the fort called Gangasagar Lake. Besides one can see Ranivasa (residence of queens) and main tower inside the fort. Shivaji Maharaj's samadhi memorial is seen in Jagdishwar temple within the fort.

Bajarpeth- old market.

Ranivasa, Gangasagar lake and Main tower seen on right.

Nagarkhana Darwaza.

Pachad is a place located at the base of  Raigad fort. At this place Shivaji Maharaj had built a palace for his mother Jijabai during her later days as she preferred staying at a lower altitude. The palace was destroyed by the British during their rule and is in ruins now. There is a memorial of Jijabai near the place which can be approached by a motorable road.

Jijamata memorial, Pachad.

Raigad fort is about 102 km from Mumbai near Mahad on Mumbai Goa highway. The road from Pune is via Khalapur and Pali.

Places to visit nearby: Harihareshwar beach, Gandharpale caves, Shivthar Ghal and Mahabaleshwar.

For information on Raigad ropeway:  Click Here.

Gandharpale Buddhist caves, Mahad.

These are a group of 30 caves situated on a hill on  Mumbai-Goa highway just before Mahad. They have been believed to be excavated between 150-300 AD. The caves are situated at the confluence of Gandhari and Savitri rivers and located near Pale village, thus the name is a combination of the two.

The caves are believed to be resting places used by the Buddhas while travelling. A few stupas, prayer halls (Chaityagrihas) and carvings of Lord Buddha can be seen in these caves. Cave nos. 1,8,15 and 21 are important as they have various stupas and sculpture images inside.

There is a stony staircase close to the highway to approach these caves on top. It takes about half an hour to climb the way up. The view from the top is awesome.

View of caves from highway.

Steps for climbing.

Cave no. 21

Carvings of Lord Buddha in Cave no. 1

View from top.

Best time to visit this place is during or soon after monsoon as there is a lot of greenery on the hill and around it.