RAIGARH-MAHARASHTRA,INDIA
THE RAIGARH FORT WAS THE CAPITAL OF THE MARATHA KING CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI AND EPICENTRE OF HIS STRUGGLE AGAINST THE MUGHAL FORCES.STRATEGICALLY LOCATED ON A WEDGE SHAPE MASS ROCK,THE FORT WAS SECOMD CAPITAL OF SHIVAJI MAHARAJ. BUILT IN 1030,IT WAS EARLIER CALLED RAIRI. HOWEVER SHIVAJI RENAMED THE FORT AS RAIGARH AFTER IT WAS CAPTURE FROM CHANDRARAO MORE IN 1856 AD.
BEFORE RAIGARH BECAME THE CAPITAL , THE RAJGAD FORT NEAR PUNE WAS SEAT OF MARATHA KING FOR 26 YEARS.
THE FORT WAS STRATEGICALLY BUILT AND RENOVATED BY SHIVAJI MAHARAJ. IT IS ACCESSIBLE ONLY FROM ONE SIDE , WHILE OTHER THREE SIDES ARE SURROUNDED BY VALLEYS. A PATH WAY LEADS TO THE FORT AND IT WAS MADE AS PER SHIVAJI MAHARAJ'S STRATEGY THAT THE FORT'S APPROACH SHOULD BE EASY FOR FRIENDS AND IMPOSSIBLE FOR FOES.
THE GATES OF THE FORT STILL STAND AND ARE POINTER TO ITS GRANDEUR. NAGARKHANA DARWAJA ,MENA DARWAZA,MAHA DARWAZA AND PALKHI DARWAZA ARE MUST VISIT. WHILE MAHA DARWAZA WAS MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE FORT, THE PALKHI DARWAZA WAS USED BY SHIVAJI MAHARAJ HIMSELF.
TODAY THE CITADEL IS IN RUINS .ONE CAN SEE QUEEN'S QUARTERS,RUINS OF WATCH TOWERS, THE BALEKILLA OR CITADEL AND THE DARBAR HALL.THE OTHER MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF THE FORT ARE THE SAMADHI OF SHIVAJI MAHRAJ AND THE MEMORIAL TO HIS DOG 'WAGHYA.'ACCORDING TO A LEGEND CONNECTED WITH 'WAGHYA', THE CANINE JUMPED INTO SHIVAJI'S PYRE,UNABLE TO BEAR LOSS OF HIS MASTER. HOWEVER ,CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS THE MEMORIAL AS THERE ARE NO HISTORICAL EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT SHIVAJI MAINTAINED A PET DOG.
SHIVAJI'S SAMADHI OR MEMORIAL OF FORT ATTRACTS LOT OF VISITORS.THE MEMORIAL IS A SIMPLE STRUCTURE BUILT OF BLACK STONE. SHIVAJI'S MILITARY GENIUS CAN BE GAUGED FROM THE FACT THAT THE FORT HAS NEVER BEEN SACKED WHILE IT WAS UNDER THE MARATHA'S. MUGHAL'S GET CONTROL OF THE FORT AFTER THE GATEKEEPERS WERE BRIBED WHILE THE BRITISH MANAGED TO GET CONTROL AFTER IT WAS SURRENDERED BY THE MARATHA'S.THE FORT WAS DESTROYED AND BOMBARDED BY THE BRITISH IN 1818.
SHIVRAJYABHISHEK
SHIVAJI MAHARAJ WAS CROWNED KING OF THE MARATHAS IN A LAVISH CEREMONY AT RAIGARH ON 6 JUNE 1674.IN THE HINDU CALENDAR IT WAS ON THE 13 TH DAY(TRAYODASHI) OF THE FIRST FORTNIGHT OF THE MONTH OF JYESHTHA IN YEAR 1596. PANDIT GAGA BHATT OFFICIATED,HOLDING A GOLD VESSEL FILLED WITH THE SEVEN SACRED WATERS OF THE RIVERS YAMUNA,INDUS,GANGA,GODAVARI,KRISHNA AND KAVERI OVER SHIVAJI'S HEAD AND CHANTED THE CORONATION MANTRA'S. AFTER THE ABLUTION, SHIVAJI BOWED BEFORE JIJABAI AND TOUCHED HER FEET.NEARLY FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE GATHERED AT RAIGARH FORT FOR THE CEREMONY. SHIVAJI BESTOWED WITH THE SACRED THREAD JAAVA WITH VEDAS AND WAS BATHED IN AN ABHISHEKA. SHIVAJI WAS ENTITLED SHAKAKARTA (FOUNDER OF AN ERA) AND KSHATRIA KULAVANTAS (HEAD OF KSHATRIAS) AND CHATRAPATI(PARAMOUNT SOVEREIGN).
HIS MOTHER JIJABAI DIED ON 18 TH JUNE 1674 WITHIN FEW DAYS OF CORONATION.CONSIDERING THIS BAD OMEN,A SECOND CORONATION WAS CARRIED OUT ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1674 , THIS TIME ACCORDING TO THE BENGALI SCHOOL OF TANTRICISM AND PRESIDE OVER BY NISCHAL PURI.
HOW TO REACH RAIGARH FORT
LOCATION OF RAIGARH FORT: VILLAGE- PANCHAND,TALUKA -MAHAD, DISTRICT-RAIGAD , STATE-MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
RAIGAD FROM MUMBAI : BY ROAD- MUMBAI-PANVEL BY MUMBAI GOA HIGHWAY UP TO MAHAD AND THEN RAIGAD FORT. DISTANCE FROM MUMBAI TO RAIGAD FORT IS APPROXIMATELY 160 KM.
RAIGAD FROM PUNE:BY ROAD-CHANDANI CHOWK PAUD ROAD -DAWADI-BHIRA TOP-ADARWADI-NIZAMPUR VIA MANGAON ROAD MUMBAI-GOA HIGHWAY -MAHAD-RAIGAD FORT.DISTANCE FROM PUNE TO RAIGAD FORT IS APPROXIMATELY 170 KM.
WHERE TO STAY: THERE ARE VERY LIMITED ACCOMMODATION OPTION'S IN FORT. ACCOMMODATION IS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLY FOR 50 TOURIST. ONE CAN ALSO OPT TO STAY AT MTDC RUN LODGE. IT IS ADVISABLE TO BOOK THE ROOM IN ADVANCE.
WHERE TO EAT:THERE ARE LIMITED EATING OPTIONS IN THE FORT. BEST TIME TO VISIT:OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE FORT.
BEFORE RAIGARH BECAME THE CAPITAL , THE RAJGAD FORT NEAR PUNE WAS SEAT OF MARATHA KING FOR 26 YEARS.
THE FORT WAS STRATEGICALLY BUILT AND RENOVATED BY SHIVAJI MAHARAJ. IT IS ACCESSIBLE ONLY FROM ONE SIDE , WHILE OTHER THREE SIDES ARE SURROUNDED BY VALLEYS. A PATH WAY LEADS TO THE FORT AND IT WAS MADE AS PER SHIVAJI MAHARAJ'S STRATEGY THAT THE FORT'S APPROACH SHOULD BE EASY FOR FRIENDS AND IMPOSSIBLE FOR FOES.
THE GATES OF THE FORT STILL STAND AND ARE POINTER TO ITS GRANDEUR. NAGARKHANA DARWAJA ,MENA DARWAZA,MAHA DARWAZA AND PALKHI DARWAZA ARE MUST VISIT. WHILE MAHA DARWAZA WAS MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE FORT, THE PALKHI DARWAZA WAS USED BY SHIVAJI MAHARAJ HIMSELF.
TODAY THE CITADEL IS IN RUINS .ONE CAN SEE QUEEN'S QUARTERS,RUINS OF WATCH TOWERS, THE BALEKILLA OR CITADEL AND THE DARBAR HALL.THE OTHER MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF THE FORT ARE THE SAMADHI OF SHIVAJI MAHRAJ AND THE MEMORIAL TO HIS DOG 'WAGHYA.'ACCORDING TO A LEGEND CONNECTED WITH 'WAGHYA', THE CANINE JUMPED INTO SHIVAJI'S PYRE,UNABLE TO BEAR LOSS OF HIS MASTER. HOWEVER ,CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS THE MEMORIAL AS THERE ARE NO HISTORICAL EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT SHIVAJI MAINTAINED A PET DOG.
SHIVAJI'S SAMADHI OR MEMORIAL OF FORT ATTRACTS LOT OF VISITORS.THE MEMORIAL IS A SIMPLE STRUCTURE BUILT OF BLACK STONE. SHIVAJI'S MILITARY GENIUS CAN BE GAUGED FROM THE FACT THAT THE FORT HAS NEVER BEEN SACKED WHILE IT WAS UNDER THE MARATHA'S. MUGHAL'S GET CONTROL OF THE FORT AFTER THE GATEKEEPERS WERE BRIBED WHILE THE BRITISH MANAGED TO GET CONTROL AFTER IT WAS SURRENDERED BY THE MARATHA'S.THE FORT WAS DESTROYED AND BOMBARDED BY THE BRITISH IN 1818.
SHIVRAJYABHISHEK
SHIVAJI MAHARAJ WAS CROWNED KING OF THE MARATHAS IN A LAVISH CEREMONY AT RAIGARH ON 6 JUNE 1674.IN THE HINDU CALENDAR IT WAS ON THE 13 TH DAY(TRAYODASHI) OF THE FIRST FORTNIGHT OF THE MONTH OF JYESHTHA IN YEAR 1596. PANDIT GAGA BHATT OFFICIATED,HOLDING A GOLD VESSEL FILLED WITH THE SEVEN SACRED WATERS OF THE RIVERS YAMUNA,INDUS,GANGA,GODAVARI,KRISHNA AND KAVERI OVER SHIVAJI'S HEAD AND CHANTED THE CORONATION MANTRA'S. AFTER THE ABLUTION, SHIVAJI BOWED BEFORE JIJABAI AND TOUCHED HER FEET.NEARLY FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE GATHERED AT RAIGARH FORT FOR THE CEREMONY. SHIVAJI BESTOWED WITH THE SACRED THREAD JAAVA WITH VEDAS AND WAS BATHED IN AN ABHISHEKA. SHIVAJI WAS ENTITLED SHAKAKARTA (FOUNDER OF AN ERA) AND KSHATRIA KULAVANTAS (HEAD OF KSHATRIAS) AND CHATRAPATI(PARAMOUNT SOVEREIGN).
HIS MOTHER JIJABAI DIED ON 18 TH JUNE 1674 WITHIN FEW DAYS OF CORONATION.CONSIDERING THIS BAD OMEN,A SECOND CORONATION WAS CARRIED OUT ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1674 , THIS TIME ACCORDING TO THE BENGALI SCHOOL OF TANTRICISM AND PRESIDE OVER BY NISCHAL PURI.
HOW TO REACH RAIGARH FORT
LOCATION OF RAIGARH FORT: VILLAGE- PANCHAND,TALUKA -MAHAD, DISTRICT-RAIGAD , STATE-MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
RAIGAD FROM MUMBAI : BY ROAD- MUMBAI-PANVEL BY MUMBAI GOA HIGHWAY UP TO MAHAD AND THEN RAIGAD FORT. DISTANCE FROM MUMBAI TO RAIGAD FORT IS APPROXIMATELY 160 KM.
RAIGAD FROM PUNE:BY ROAD-CHANDANI CHOWK PAUD ROAD -DAWADI-BHIRA TOP-ADARWADI-NIZAMPUR VIA MANGAON ROAD MUMBAI-GOA HIGHWAY -MAHAD-RAIGAD FORT.DISTANCE FROM PUNE TO RAIGAD FORT IS APPROXIMATELY 170 KM.
WHERE TO STAY: THERE ARE VERY LIMITED ACCOMMODATION OPTION'S IN FORT. ACCOMMODATION IS ONLY AVAILABLE ONLY FOR 50 TOURIST. ONE CAN ALSO OPT TO STAY AT MTDC RUN LODGE. IT IS ADVISABLE TO BOOK THE ROOM IN ADVANCE.
WHERE TO EAT:THERE ARE LIMITED EATING OPTIONS IN THE FORT. BEST TIME TO VISIT:OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE FORT.
MAP OF RAIGARH
GANGA SAGAR LAKE
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