Raigad Fort

Shivaji took this hill in 1656, rebuilt it as his capital and was crowned here in 1674, and it holds his samadhi. The fort occupies a plateau at about 820 metres with sheer basalt cliffs on every side and a single fortified approach, the Maha Darwaja, reached by roughly 1,700 stone steps; a ropeway now climbs in a few minutes. On top are the palace foundations, a market street of forty shops with stone plinths, the Jagadishwar temple, water tanks, and Hirakani point, named after a milkmaid who is said to have climbed down the cliff at night to reach her child. A cliff called Takmak Tok drops several hundred metres.

What you actually see

• The 1,700 steps - the stone stair up to the main gate.
• The market street - stone plinths of forty shops along the plateau.
• Shivaji's samadhi - the memorial beside the Jagadishwar temple.
• Takmak Tok - the cliff edge with a several hundred metre drop.

When to go

October to March; the monsoon brings cloud that closes views and makes steps dangerous, though the plateau greens. Winter mornings are clearest. The ropeway suspends in high wind.

Honest expectations

The climb is long and steep; most visitors use the ropeway, which queues at weekends. The plateau is exposed with no shade. Buildings are foundations rather than standing structures.

Nearby

Mahad lies east; Mahabaleshwar is southeast.