Raigarh

Raigarh, or Raigad, is a great hill fort above the Konkan, protected by steep cliffs and commanding approaches between the coast and the Western Ghats. Formerly called Rairi, it was taken by Shivaji in 1656 after his conquest of the Jawali country. The summit became the seat of his government, with palaces and other buildings laid out within the defences.

On 6 June 1674 Shivaji was crowned at Raigad, publicly proclaiming his independent sovereignty. The English representative Henry Oxinden attended the ceremonies and presented him with a diamond ring. Shivaji died at the fort in 1680, and it remained central to the Maratha kingdom during the struggles that followed. In 1689 Mughal forces captured Raigad during the reign of his son Rajaram. The Marathas recovered it in 1733. Its exposed heights and the remains of its royal buildings recall both the foundation of the kingdom and the wars that followed.