The Rajgad Fort is located around 60 km (37 mi) to the south-west of Pune and about 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Nasrapur in the Sahyadris range.
The fort lies 1,400 m (4,600 ft) above sea level.
The diameter of the base of the fort was about 40 km (25 mi) 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 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on any fort .
Formerly known as Murumdev, the fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire under the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for almost 26 years,
Rajgad Fort History 1:
The Rajgad Fort was also one of the 17 forts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kept when he signed the Treaty of Purandar in 1665, with Mughal general Jai Singh I, leader of the Mughal forces.
The fort has stood witness to many significant historic events including the birth of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son “Rajaram Chhatrapati”.
he death of Shivaji’s Queen Saibai, the return of Shivaji from Agra, the burial of Afzal Khan’s head in the Maha Darwaja walls of Balle .
Killa the strict words of Sonopant Dabir to Shivaji.
Under this treaty,
This the most popular route and starts from Gunjavane village. This route takes approximately 2 and a half hours to ascend the fort and leads to the Padmavati Machee (Plateau).
Rajgad Fort History 2:
The fort itself too like other Maratha fortresses uses the landscape of its natural surroundings to its strategic advantage to ward off encroachments and discourage attacks.
The fort contains palaces, water tanks with cisterns, temples, gardens and other monuments that remain from its glory days for present day audiences to draw an inference of life during those days.
The Rajgad fort holds special importance in the timeline of Maratha history especially.
since it boasts of the longest period of time of housing the great warrior king Chatrapati Shivaji and serving as the capital of his Maratha Empire.
Places to visit on the Fort:
Padmavati Lake: There is a small freshwater lake on Padmavati Machee. The chor darwaza leads to here directly.
The walls of the lake are intact even today and the lake never dries up (even in the hottest summer).
Rameshwar Temple: The is located in front of Padmavati temple.
The Shiva linga present is believed to be of Shivaji Maharaj’s times.
Padmavati Temple: The temple was constructed by “Shivaji Maharaj himself”.
How to reach:
Rajgad is 40 Km from Pune.
The Way to Rajgad is via Nasrapur Phata which is about 15-20 Kms from Katraj Tunnel.
The base village you can reach through 3 routes. From Gunjawane, Pali and from Bhor route.
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