Rajgad Fort

Rajgad (literal meaning ruling fort) is a Hill region fort situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. Formerly known as Murumbdev, the fort was the first capital of the Maratha Empire under the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for almost 26 years, after which the capital was moved to the Raigad Fort. Treasures discovered from an adjacent fort called Torna were used to completely build and fortify the Rajgad Fort.

The Rajgad Fort is located around 60 km (37 mi) to the south-west of Pune and about 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Nasrapur in the Sahyadris range. The fort lies 1,376 m (4,514 ft) above the sea level. The fort's base had a diameter of about 40 km (25 mi), making it difficult to lay siege to, thereby enhancing its strategic value. The fort's ruins consist of palaces, water cisterns, and caves. This fort was built on a hill called Murumbadevi Dongar (mountain of the goddess Murumba). Rajgad boasts of the highest number of days Shivaji spent on any fort. This Fort was inscribed in 2025 as a component site of the Maratha Military Landscapes of India, which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee.

Text adapted from “Rajgad” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Rajgad Fort ranks #827 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #32 of the 172 mapped in India. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 11,089 times in the last 60 days, more than 93% of the atlas. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Pune, 36 km away. See how India compares in the castle statistics.

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