Meghdambari — Attraction in Maharashtra

Visiting Forts and Historical period and reading more about it, especially of Shivaji & Marathi era are my weakness, never ever do i miss a chance to visit such places which act as a tonic and inspiration to me in my otherwise unidimensional life. I have even visited same fort again and again, every time it reveal something new, there it provides something new for exploration.

Yesterday i happened to visit Fort Raigad, it was not an unscheduled trip per se.  It was well planned many days ago, we reached the fort early in the morning, having begun our trip at around 1.40 am the earlier night.  Not that I was visiting this fort for the first time.  But still somehow the enthusiasm was there.

Visiting such places however leave a tinge of pain, to see the disgustful state in which these historical monuments are in now.   Raigad, which once upon a time was the capital of Hindavi Swaraj today is no exception, its in shambles, the authorities maintaining the fort are equally responsible, so also are the visitors who show disrespect to these monuments.  Unmindful of the historical import of these places, they do nothing else but cheap theatrics.  They leave behind the waste in form of empty water bottles, plastic and paper waste.

The fort is huge, it is tough to even climb, leave alone to capture.  Whenever i think of Shivaji Maharaj and his great deeds,  i forget  not the deeds and dedication and selfless service rendered by the people around this great warrior. The sacrifice of these people, sometimes were acknowledged while sometimes it just blurred away in oblivion.  Not a second thought these people gave to their loved ones, their near and dear ones and plunged into the fight for Swarajya, some even making ultimate sacrifice of...

Meghdambari" is the holy place where "Shivrajyabhishek" (Coronation Ceremony) was held. Gaga Bhatt, an authority of Vedas officially presided over the ceremony, and had a gold vessel filled with the seven sacred waters of the rivers Yamuna, Sindhu, Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. He held the vessel over King Shivaji's head and chanted the coronation mantras, as the water kept dripping from the several tiny holes in the vessel. After the abulation, King Shivaji bowed before Jijamata and touched her feet. Nearly fifty thousand people gathered at Raigad for the ceremonies. Shivaji Maharaj was bestowed with the sacred thread jaanva, with the Vedas and was bathed in an abhisheka. Shivaji then had the title of "Shakakarta" conferred upon him. The king's court, inside the Raigad Fort has a replica of the original throne that faces the main doorway called the Nagarkhana Darwaja. It faces the East Side. It was here where Shivaji Maharaj's Rajyabhishek took place. This enclosure had been acoustically designed to aid hearing from the doorway to the throne. A secondary entrance, called the Mena Darwaja on south side, was supposedly the private entrance for the royal ladies of the fort that lead to the...

If you have read Maratha Swaraj history, and you have some emotional attachment to the king who basically saved india from tyranny and atrocities of cruel middle east invaders and possible conversion of religion, I bet you, when u stand in front and glance at this idol, you would feel those emotions running, goosebumps and watery eyes. Such is the air that is filled with bravery, glory, and loyalty of the great Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj....