Raigad - Raigad Fort - Raigad Ropeway

Raigad Fort

Raigad is a hill fortress situated in Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Maratha king Shivaji made the fort his capital in 1674 when he was crowned king of a Marathi kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire.The fort, which rises 820 meters (2,700 ft) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. There are approximately 1400-1450 steps leading to the fort, though now a rope-way exists to reach the top.

The fort's ruins today consists of the queen's quarters, consisting of six chambers, with each chamber having its own private commode with plumbing. 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 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 off.