18 attractions in RaigadFort (back)

Raigad (Marathi: रायगड) is a hill fort situated in Mahad, Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The Raigad Fort, formerly known as Rairi, was built by Raje Chandraraoji More, The King of Jawali was then seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and made it his capital in 1674 when he was crowned as the King of a Maratha Kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire, eventually covering much of western and central India.The fort rises 820 metres (2,700 ft) above the sea level and is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. There are approximately 1737 steps leading to the fort. The Raigad Ropeway, an aerial tramway exists to reach the top of the fort in 10 minutes. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British after it was captured in 1818.

The Raigad Ropeway is a ropeway which provides passenger transportation to Raigad fort. Raigad fort, which is located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, is considered as the capital of national resistance and the final resting place of the great founder of the Indian liberation - Shivaji. It is a place of national importance and attracts pilgrims of all ages. Prior to the ropeway the only way to ascend Raigad fort was to trek to it, which took an hour. The Ropeway makes this site relatively more accessible to those not in a physical condition to make this trek. The Raigad Ropeway project is a non-profit endeavour, being the only one of its kind in India. This facility is owned by the Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Mandal, (SSRSM) Pune an organisation started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1886. Construction of this Ropeway was completed in 1996.

Sinhagad is a hill fortress located at around 35 km southwest of the city of Pune, India. Some of the information available at this fort suggests that the fort could have been built 2000 years ago. The caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple stand as proofs for the same. Previously known as Kondhana, the fort had been the site of many battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670. Perched on an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range in the Sahyadri Mountains, the fort is situated on a hill about 760 metres above ground and 1,312 metres above mean sea level.The Sinhagad (Lion's Fort) was strategically built to provide natural protection due to its very steep slopes. The walls and bastions were constructed only at key places. There are two gates to enter the fort, the Kalyan Darwaza and Pune Darwaza which are positioned at the south east and north-east ends respectively. The fort was also strategically located at the centre of a string of other Maratha Empire forts such as Rajgad Fort, Purandar Fort and Torna Fort.

Shivthar Ghal, also known as Sundarmath, (Sundarmath means Beautiful Monastery), is a cave, about 34 km from Mahad, near Barasgaon, Maharashtra, India. Samarth Ramdas dictated Dasbodh to Kalyan Swami. Samarth Ramdas lived here for about 22 years. It is believed that this is where the first meeting between Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas took place. The cave was discovered by Shri Shankarrao Deo of Dhule in 1930. The cave and surrounding area was renovated after Samarth Seva Mandal was formed in 1950. The campus includes the actual cave under the waterfall, Ramdas Swami temple, dining hall and accommodation. Between 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm, the visitors can have the prasad consisting of Moong Dal Khichadi and Shira. Shivthar Ghal Sundarmath Seva Samiti organizes various programs at this location. It was rediscovered by Shankar Shrikrishna Deo. Shivthar Ghal is located in Varandha Ghat in the Sahyadris on the Bhor-Mahad road. In monsoons, a waterfall falls in front of the cave.