• Jan 25 2016
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Rajgad Fort

Rajgad trek is the most beautiful trek in Maharashtra. As the name suggests it is the king of forts. Because of the rich history and the mesmerizing architecture of the fort, it stands out among other forts in Western Ghats.

It is situated at an altitude of 4,514 ft near Pune. This fort was built on the hill Murumb Devacha Dongar, having a diameter of about 40 km. The huge size of the fort made it difficult to lay siege on it which helped the Marathas to make strategic decisions.

Rajgad was the capital of the Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for 26 years after which he shifted to Raigad. This is one of the reasons how the fort was built so beautifully.

Since Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj stayed for so long in this fort, it has significant historic events. Including the birth of his son Rajaram I to the death of his queen Saibai, Rajgad has witnessed many such events. It was also one of the 17 forts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kept when he signed the treaty of Purandar in 1665.

Trek to Rajgad offers the beauty of the Sahyadris as well as the fort. The fortification of the 3 Machis: Padmavati Machi, Suvela Machi, and Sanjivani Machi define the architectural creativity of that time. There are many temples, water cisterns, and ashrams that are very rich in architecture.

It also offers a splendid view of other surrounding forts like Torna, Lingana, Raigad, Sinhagad, Purandar, Mangalgad, Vajragad, Rohida, Raireshwar, Mahabaleshwar mountain range, Makarandgad, Pratapgad, Varandha Ghat, Kavlya fort, Mohangad, Gopya Ghat, Madhe Ghat, Raidand, Lohgad, Visapaur, Tung, and Tikona.