Gangasagar lake
Among the ruins.
Shivani — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Omi2394 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rajalakshendra — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chetan Karkhanis — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sj1742 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Raigad is a hill fort in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, about 17 km in a straight line north of the town of Mahad. Standing at about 820 m in the Sahyadri range, it is one of the strongest fortresses of the Deccan Plateau and covers about 490 hectares. The Maratha ruler Shivaji oversaw the building of its structures with his chief engineer, Hiroji Indulkar, and in 1674, after his coronation as king, he made Raigad his capital. The fort was once home to about 1,550 residents. The ruins include the base of the old wooden palace, the queens' quarters, a long market street lined with the stone plinths of shops, the great gateway of the palace complex and the Gangasagar lake, with stone towers and bastions on the cliff edges. In the monsoon, clouds roll over the green ridges, and the views across the Sahyadri hills are wide. Reaching the top means climbing about 1,737 steps or taking a 750 m ropeway that gets there in about four minutes. Paths are slippery in the monsoon, so wear good shoes and carry water.
Among the ruins.
Shop plinths.
Four minutes up.
Raigad district, Maharashtra, India
About 1,737 steps or the ropeway.
After the monsoon, when hills are green and paths drier.