The theme of the backdrop of this year’s Rashtriya Ekta Divas celebrations at Kevadiya, Gujarat was the Raigad Fort.
- A replica of Raigad Fort has been made as backdrop at the venue of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade in Kevadiya to showcase the stories of incredible valour, heroic deeds and innovative warfare techniques of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
About Raigad Fort
- Shivaji Maharaj had wrested the Fort from Chandrarao More in 1656 CE. On 6th June, 1674 CE a grand coronation ceremony of Shivaji Maharaj was held on Raigad post, during which he attained the title of “Chhatrapati”.
- Various landmarks have lent it the credo of ‘Shiva teerth’.
- The fort served as the second capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and played an important role in the administration and expansion of the Maratha Kingdom.Towering above the valleys of Maharashtra, Raigad Fort carries the echoes of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reign.
- Once the capital of his flourishing Maratha Empire, this hilltop stronghold carries with it the stories of bravery, innovation, and heroism.
- The “Sabhasad Bakhar” (Ancient letter) reflects how Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj selected the Raigad fort as the capital of the Maratha Empire.
- Raigad, surrounded by valleys shaped by the Kal and Gandhari rivers, stands as an isolated massif without connections to neighbouring hills. Its impregnable nature, attributed to physiographic features like steep cliffs and 1500-foot escarpments, is underscored by innovative military defence tactics.
- Grant Duff, a British historian of the Maratha period has drawn parallels between Raigad and the Rock of Gibraltar.
- He has gone to the extent of labelling Raigad as the Gibraltar of the east.
- The fort of Raigad is part of the 12 forts nominated for UNESCO World Heritage under the title “Maratha Military Landscapes of India”.
- Shivaji Maharaj had ruled Hindvi Swaraj from Raigad Fort for six years till his death in 1680 CE. There is a Samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad Fort.
