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':''For the town in [[Chhattisgarh]] see [[Raigarh]]''. {{Infobox Military Structure |name = Raigad fort |partof = |location = [[Raigad District]], [[Maharashtra]] |image = [[File:RaigadFort3.jpg|300px]] |caption = Raigad fort towers |map_type =India Maharashtra |latitude =18.23408 |longitude =73.44023 |map_size =300 |map_caption =Shown within [[Maharashtra]] |type = Hill fort |coordinates = {{coord|18|14|2.69|N|73|26|24.83|E}} |code = |built = |builder = [[Hiroji Indulkar]] |materials = Stone, Lead |height = {{convert|820|m|ft|-2}} ASL |Nearest city -[[Mahad]] |used = |demolished = |condition = |ownership = Government of India |open_to_public = Yes |controlledby = {{noflag}}[[Bijapur (state)|Bijapur]]<br /> * {{noflag}}House of More <small>(1030-1656)</small> {{flagcountry|Maratha Empire}} <small>(1656-1818)</small><br />{{flagicon image|Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg}} [[East India Company]] <small>(1818-1857)</small><br />{{flagcountry|United Kingdom}} * {{flagicon image|British Raj Red Ensign.svg}} [[India]] <small>(1857-1947)</small> {{flagcountry|India}} <small>(1947-)</small> |garrison = |current_commander = |commanders = [[Shivaji]] |occupants = [[Sambhaji]] |battles = |events = |image2 = |caption2 = }} '''Raigad''' (Marathi:रायगड) is a hill fortress situated in the modern day near [[mahad]], [[Raigad district]] of [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. The Maratha king [[Shivaji Maharaj]] made the fort his capital in 1674 when he was crowned King of a Maratha Kingdom which later developed into the [[Maratha Empire]] eventually covering majority of modern day India. <ref>{{citeweb |url=http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Forts/Forts.aspx?strpage=Raigarh_Fort.html|title= Raigarh Fort|accessdate=2012-05-18}}</ref> The fort, which rises {{convert|820|m|ft|-2}} above sea level, is located in the [[Sahyadri]] mountain range. There are approximately 1400–1450 steps leading to the fort, though today a rope-way exists to reach the top of the fort. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege. ==History== [[File:The Ghats from Ryghur.jpg|thumb|left|The Ghats from Ryghur]] Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had seized the fort in 1656, then the fortress of Rairi, from the royal house of the Chandrarrao Mores, a junior or [[Cadet dynasty]] to descended from the ancient [[Maurya]] imperial dynasty. The last More king (or ''raja'') was a feudatory of the Sultan of [[Bijapur Sultanate|Bijapur]]. Shivaji renovated and expanded the Fortress of Rairi and renamed it Raigad (the ''King's Fort''), the name he gave it when he selected it for his capital when he founded the Maratha empire. [[Raigad]], a hill fortress situated in Raigad District of Maharashtra, It was capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's kingdom. In [[1765]] the Raigad Fort, along with [[Malwan]] in present [[Sindhudurg District]], the southernmost district of [[Maharashtra]], was the target of an armed expedition by the British [[East India Company]], which considered it a [[pirate|piratical]] stronghold. In 1818 the fort was bombarded and destroyed by [[East India Company]], using cannons. ==Major features== The fort was built by Chandrarao Mores in 1030. fort's 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 areas is now fenced off.<ref name="gunaji">{{cite book|last=Gunaji|first=Milind|title=Offbeat Tracks in Maharashtra|publisher=Popular Prakashan|year=2005|pages=41|isbn=81-7154-669-2|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=JIjmDLardesC&pg=PA41&dq=raigad+fort&lr=|accessdate=2009-03-17}}</ref> The fort also has ruins of the market, and it has such structure that one can shop even while riding on a horse. The king's public [[Durbar (court)|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.<ref name="ropewayinfo">{{cite web|suraj mhatre url=http://www.raigadropeway.com/fort.htm |title=Write-up from the Raigad ropeway webpage |accessdate=2007-01-13 }}</ref> 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 [[Samādhi|Samadhi]] (tomb) and that of his dog Waghya.<ref>[http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0207/articles/020705b.htm Fight Fire with Fur (Page 2)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> == Gallery == <gallery> File:Shivaji Maharaj Raigad.jpg| Statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad fort File:Raygad Map.JPG |Map of Raigad File:Raigad Information.JPG |Information of Raigad Fort in Marathi Language File:Hiroji step.JPG | The step of Hiroji Indulkar. He constructed the fort File:Shilalekh on Raigad.jpeg | "Pratipat Chandra lekhev...." File:Raigad fort long view.jpeg | Raigad Fort and Takmak tok (end) on the left) File:Bajarpeth and Nagarkhana.jpeg |Bajarpeth and Nagarkhana File:Main Door shape of Raigad fort.JPG |Main Door shape of Raigad fort File:Statue of Shivaji Maharaj.JPG |Statue of Shivaji Maharaj File:Opes of Raigad Ropeway.JPG |Ropes of Raigad Ropeway.JPG File:RaigadFort1.jpg|Ruins of the old palace at Raigad fort File:Ganga sagar talav.JPG|The Ganga Sagar Lake, main water reservoir for the fort File:Raigad fort towers.jpg File:Raigad fort long view.jpeg File:RaigadFort4.jpg File:RaigadFort3.jpg File:RaigadFort2.jpg File:RaigadFort1.jpg File:RaigadFort6.jpg File:RaigadFort7.jpg File:RaigadFort5.jpg File:RaigadFort8.jpg File:Raigad gangasagar and takmak tok.jpg File:Raigad ropeway.JPG File:Raigad front towers.jpg File:Raigad Maha Darwaja.jpg File:Darwaja (The Gate).jpg </gallery> ==References== {{commons category|Raigad Fort}} <references/> ==See also== *[[List of forts in Maharashtra]] *[http://indiaouting.com/maharashtra/raigad-fort/ Raigad Fort Pictures] {{Forts in Maharashtra}} {{Forts in India}} {{MarathaEmpire}} {{coord|18.23408|73.44023|type:landmark|display=title}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Raigad Fort}} [[Category:Forts in Maharashtra]] [[Category:Former Indian capital cities]] {{Link FA|mr}} [[bg:Райгад]] [[ca:Raigarh]] [[mr:रायगड (किल्ला)]] [[sv:Raigad]]'