Raigad an insight
Trip to Raigad was an unforgettable experience and if I don’t pen it down it would be totally unfair at my end.
I and my friends- Sandy,Urmila,Neha,Swapnil,Sahil and Keerthi to be precise, started from Pune early in the morning to cover a journey which curtail to almost 4 hours. It was a bright and sunny morning which added to our euphoria and excitement. We reached the foothills at 1300 hours and went directly to the ropeway booking counter. However we got the shock of our life. What is this?
The place was totally crowded. There was a waiting time of 2 and half hours to go up the ropeway due to ‘Shivjayanti’. This is the day Shivaji was born which is celebrated with great passion in Maharashtra. What best could be done was the question in all of our minds? Finally we found solace in the hut of one of the locals who were very cordial. The full 2 and half hours was spent eating our lunch and having a good doze. Finally after this long wait our turn came and the trip up the ropeway was breath taking. The scenery was exuberating. We were totally speechless taking in the beauty of nature around us.
If the scene up the hill was breath taking then the scene at the hill top was out of this world. The weather was very pleasant with a mild breeze and drizzle. Without wasting time we started to check out various facet of the fort.
The architecture was commendable which brings me to the point where I should give a brief history of this place.
“Raigad is a hill fortress situated in the modern day Raigad District of Maharashtra, India. It was the capital of the most illustrious Maratha sovereign, nurtured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a monument of his prophetic vision of Hindavi Swarajya He made the fort his capital in 1674 when he was crowned king of Marathi kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire.
When he first saw the place, Shivaji Maharaj could not help exclaim: “This Fort is formidable. All sides appear as if chiseled from a mountain of solid rock. Not even a blade of grass grows on the sheer vertical rock. This is a paragon to house the throne”.
It has been described by European historians as ‘The Gibraltar of East’. Various landmarks have lent it the credo of ‘Shivtirth’. The holy shrine has become vibrant by the valor, courage and patriotism of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The sheer vertical rock face tearing into the sky above appears defiant and insurmountable. It has stemmed many a foreign aggression and protected the Hindavi Swarajya during those historic times.
The fort, which rises 820 m (2700 ft) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. There are approximately 1400–1450 steps leading to the fort, though today a rope-way exists to reach the top of the fort. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege.”
I and my friends- Sandy,Urmila,Neha,Swapnil,Sahil and Keerthi to be precise, started from Pune early in the morning to cover a journey which curtail to almost 4 hours. It was a bright and sunny morning which added to our euphoria and excitement. We reached the foothills at 1300 hours and went directly to the ropeway booking counter. However we got the shock of our life. What is this?
The place was totally crowded. There was a waiting time of 2 and half hours to go up the ropeway due to ‘Shivjayanti’. This is the day Shivaji was born which is celebrated with great passion in Maharashtra. What best could be done was the question in all of our minds? Finally we found solace in the hut of one of the locals who were very cordial. The full 2 and half hours was spent eating our lunch and having a good doze. Finally after this long wait our turn came and the trip up the ropeway was breath taking. The scenery was exuberating. We were totally speechless taking in the beauty of nature around us.
If the scene up the hill was breath taking then the scene at the hill top was out of this world. The weather was very pleasant with a mild breeze and drizzle. Without wasting time we started to check out various facet of the fort.
The architecture was commendable which brings me to the point where I should give a brief history of this place.
“Raigad is a hill fortress situated in the modern day Raigad District of Maharashtra, India. It was the capital of the most illustrious Maratha sovereign, nurtured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a monument of his prophetic vision of Hindavi Swarajya He made the fort his capital in 1674 when he was crowned king of Marathi kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire.
When he first saw the place, Shivaji Maharaj could not help exclaim: “This Fort is formidable. All sides appear as if chiseled from a mountain of solid rock. Not even a blade of grass grows on the sheer vertical rock. This is a paragon to house the throne”.
It has been described by European historians as ‘The Gibraltar of East’. Various landmarks have lent it the credo of ‘Shivtirth’. The holy shrine has become vibrant by the valor, courage and patriotism of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The sheer vertical rock face tearing into the sky above appears defiant and insurmountable. It has stemmed many a foreign aggression and protected the Hindavi Swarajya during those historic times.
The fort, which rises 820 m (2700 ft) above sea level, is located in the Sahyadri mountain range. There are approximately 1400–1450 steps leading to the fort, though today a rope-way exists to reach the top of the fort. The fort was looted and destroyed by the British upon siege.”
"Time and tide waits for none", so was this fantastic journey which came to an end ,leaving a dearth for more. The journey downhill was made with a heavy heart but these memories will be treasured for ever to be ruminated in our past time.
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