Raigad 2-3 Feb 2008

2-3Feb 2008 Raigad

Organisers: Nilesh Rane, Rajesh Jathar, Chirag thakkar, Abhijit Pansare

Participants: Alok Bhave, Shefali Kakodkar, Jitendra Sankpal, Sonal jain, Jayanti Das, Apurba Banik, Kamleshwar Kocharekar, Suman Kocharekar, Alka Thakkar, Anurag Kumar

Mode of transport: Min bus 19 seater. Started from kandivali.

Alternative route possible: ST from parel to pachad (village at base of raigad) leaves at night from mumbai and reaches early morning at pachad. For return leaves pachad at 3:30 and reaches mumbai at night.

We left last stop vashi at 8:00am.
Stopped at Shanbhar Vishranti, karnala for tea and snacks.
Reached Raigad Ropeway at 12:30pm.

Antakshari fun in Bus





Some view from the bus




African tulip tree at the base station


Had lunch in the hotel at the base station and then proceeded to the top of Raigad via the ropeway.

Tit bits: Constructed by Job Engineering Ltd,
Construction commenced:November 1994
Costruction completed:March 1996
Cost of the project:Rs. 3.1412 Crores
Vertical height:420 metres
Rope length:760 metres
Electrical motor capacity:70 HP
Cabin weight:100 kg. Each
2 cabins each can carry 4 persons.



Before boarding at the base station






From the cabin




Base station from the cabin almost at the top


The ropeway station at the top


Reached the top of the fort at around 2:30pm.
Stay:
Booking was done in MTDC for one 15person dormitory and one family room which can accommodate 5 person.

Went to our MTDC cottage. It was right on the edge of raigad and we had the complete view right from the door of the cottage.





A nice place to sit outside too around where we did the camp fire at night





A Long billed vulture flew above us twice. Later from Hirkani buruj we saw a flock of 4vultures on the mountains on the other side of the valley.



Tit bits:
Raigad is a hill fortress situated in the modern day Raigad District of Maharashtra, India.
The great Maratha king Shivaji made the fort his capital in 1674 when he was crowned king of a Marathi kingdom which later developed into the Maratha Empire.
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.

After getting fresh immediately started on our excursion of the fort.

Right behind our cottage was the access to the palace through the Mena Darwaja, meant to be a private access to queens.



But before entering the palace we had planned to cover the Hirkani Buruj situated on the left most edge of the fort.

On the way to Hirkani Buruj, Takmak Tok is visible on the right




Path to Hirkani Buruj


Hirkani Buruj
(The place from where Hirkani a mother of infant, selling milk on the fort climbed down the vertical slope because the doors of the fort were locked at the sunset and she had no other way to reach her home in raigad wadi at the base of raigad )



From here we came back to the Mena Darwaja.

To the right can be seen the MTDC cottages.


Mena Darwaja


Ministers' Offices


Queen's palace


Emperor's Palace


Watch towers and Takmak visible from Emperor's Palace


Emperor's Public Darbar and the Nagarkhana Darwaja


Emperor's Throne


Bazaar Peth


Blue rock Thrush in Bazaar peth. This bird seemed to be resident in the rocks of the bazaar peth as it was always visible around here whenever we passed the bazaar peth.


Crossing the bazar peth we started walking towards the Takmak tok

Crazy people clicking shadows ..:-)


Walking towards Takmak tok


View From Takmak Tok


Lingana seen on the east side of Raigad


View from Takmak Tok of the Maha darwaja which is halfway down the fort


Village at the base of Raigad


At Takmak Tok






Waiting for sunset at Raigad


Six deviyan at Takmak Tok


Sunset at Takmak Tok


After the sunset we came back to our MTDC cottage and lit a camp fire










Photo of moon taken at 5 in the morning


Sunrise at Bazaar Peth


Sunrise with Shivaji Statue


Jagadeeshwar Mandir at sunrise








After looking at sunrise we headed to deshmukh restaurant for tea.
On the way we got a look at the shirkai devi temple and the Ganga sagar talaw.

Ganga sagar Talaw


Shirkai Devi Temple


After having tea plan was to visit the Jagadeeshwar temple and Shivaji Maharaj samadhi.

On the way to the temple we again passed through public darbar and Nagarkhana Darwaja




A few of us who had quickly had our tea had decided to make to barataki which has a pretty downtrek from the Jagadeeshwar mandir. It is a place having 12 tanks used for water storage in older times.








There is a huge plateau at the place where barataki are situated and a good view of the valley on the west side.


Came back up from bara taki at the samadhi.

Jagadeeshwar Temple, Shivaji Maharaj Samadhi and Waghya's samadhi visible


This is Shivaji's favorite dog Waghya's samadhi


Shivaji Maharaj Samadhi




Jagadeeshwar Mandir


Just a poster photo


Dhaiti (Woodfordia fruticosa)


From samadhi we started back to the cottage.
We had to checkout at 9:30am.

Some pics taken on the way back




Pivali Abai (Reinwardtia Indica)


Back at the cottage sighted this Shikra flying on the top


Started from the cottage at around 10am to start the climb down.
The plan was to have breakfast at the Deshmukh.
While climbing to the Deshmukh we took the palkhi darwaja route along the ganga sagar talaw.



Just outside the Deshmukh saw this grey wagtail


Had poha for breakfast and then started for our down the fort trek.


At the top of the fort before descending we crossed the hatti talaw.


A blue rock thrush female was perched on the tree just next to the hatti talaw


Half way down the fort we reached the imposing Maha darwaja which is the main door to the fort.


You have to cover around 1400-1500 steps to climb down Raigad.
Having steps many times makes it more strenuous on your legs than a proper trail.




Khoopladha buruj very near to the base of Raigad


1km from the Village Pachad at the base of Raigad is the Samadhi of Shivaji Maharaj's mother Rajmata Jijabai


Some flower and bird pics while getting down
Gliricidia also called Undirmar. The powder of the bark of this tree is used as rat poison.


Blyths Pipit


Pangli (Pogostemon Benghalensis)






Complete Raigad for view from the base.
Both Hirkani and Takmak Tok are visible.