In the Footsteps of Shivaji Maharaj: A Transformative Experience at Raigad.

Reminiscing History
Aug 22
4 min read

By Harshada Gadekar

The history that we all learned for the first time and the one that we kept forever in our hearts was the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj taught in the fourth-grade book.

Raigad....! This is the sacred place where the whole world witnessed an epoch-making event, which was the coronation ceremony of the Chh. Shivaji Maharaj. The center of the Marathi Soul, the symbol of Maharashtra's identity, Tejasurya Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, laid the foundation stone of the Marathi Empire on this Raigad. Raigad had never come up in my reading in depth before. But after seeing and hearing about Raigad in person, it was as if Raigad had embraced me as family. My perspective on looking at and studying Shivaji Maharaj became even broader. A few days later, by chance, I watched the movie 'Hambirrao' at home, and then, literally, a million rays of light began to flow through my body. Seeing the Raigad seen in that film, the actions of Shivaji Maharaj, and the overall history that happened, I felt so mesmerized and nostalgic that this is the Raigad where I had visited a few days ago. It is difficult to describe this extraordinary feeling in words.

The entrance to Raigad itself marks the beginning of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's vision. The lotus symbolizes knowledge, the ear of sorghum symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and the elephant under the feet of the imaginary animal consisting of a lion and a tiger together symbolizes bravery, says a lot.

PC- Parnavi Bangar and Harshada Gadekar

As per Maharaj's idea, Hiroji Indulkar, taking the basis of Vastu Shastra, designed the Raigad, which is strong all around. In the east, there was a Nagarkhana, Inside a huge open court hall, Along the walls of which were a secretariat for the clerks of various departments, a judicial assembly, a place for the lectern, a Diwan-i-Khas, a worshipping place at home, warehouses for secondary wealth, a Rajgriha, a Yuvraj griha, An office, A basement for valuable wealth, three floor towers, A mint, bathrooms, behind them a Kunbi residence, finally a granary, A mudpakhana (kitchen), Queens palace, A yuvraj niwas, Basements for intellectual criminals, beautiful gardens. Seeing the Huzoor Bazaar, one's eyes widened. Spacious palaces were built for the Ashtapradhan and Military officers, lakes, temples, arsenals, guard posts, and many gates. Shivaji Maharaj had carefully considered these overall needs, their importance, and their role in Swarajya and implemented what is now known as 'Urban/Rural Planning' while building the fort at that time.

PC- Parnavi Bangar and Harshada Gadekar

Many people have a wrong idea about why a single lake was not built instead of twelve tanks at Raigad. This is not due to caste discrimination, but the reason for this is that if one tank gets polluted by wild animals roaming at night, at least the rest should be useful, or if a tank gets damaged and the water flows away, or if the water in a tank dries up, the rest should be useful. Twelve statements like one tank for bathing water, one tank for washing clothes, one tank for washing dishes can be combined into twelve tanks.

I don't think that all these forts are just forts at all. They are like the storytellers who are eager to tell the story of the valor of the Mavalas. They are the heaps of heroic deeds and desires of the Mavalas who sacrificed their lives for Swarajya. Hirkani Kada is a term that testifies to the story of maternal love. The trunk of the Takmak, which penetrated the gap between the earth and the sky, was the terrible wonder of Raigad and a time of sorrow for criminals. Another example of Shivaji Maharaj's foresight is the provision of toilets and sewage systems at Raigad.

I paid homage to the holy tomb of Maharaj and worshipped at Jagadishwar temple. When I saw the ruined Nandi in front of the temple of Jagadishwar, my heart sank, my body trembled, and after looking at that Nandi, I began to feel the combination of religion, culture, power, struggle, and politics. It was as if Nandi was revealing history. During the ceremony at Raigad, when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation ceremony marked 350 years, I watched a video in which some organization had duly installed a bronze face on the Nandi. Seeing that, tears came to my eyes, and then I realized that the Ram Janmabhoomi, the ceremony of consecrating the idol of Ram, is a matter of pride for all Indians, but especially for North Indians, and I also understood why this ceremony was so important and why the elderly people there were shedding tears. For every person who knows history, those events, their feelings associated with them are very precious. And then I saw a digital recreation of Nandi in front of the Jagdishwar temple in Raigad on the Instagram page 'Reminiscing History' and it was great to see that this is also a great new way to convey research based information, that curiosity about what it would have been like at that original time about ancient structure, ruins which are no longer in their complete state without tempering with history.

©Parnavi Bangar, Reminiscing History

More than half of Raigad was explored, and half was left. Some of our friends were tired, they started to rest after having lunch, but some of us were very excited, and set off to see Hirkani Buruj and Wagh Darwaja. Literally, our mouths were watering as we reached Wagh Darwaja. When we reached Wagh Darwaja, one of our friends took out a box of parathas, aha…. I realized what happiness really is.

No matter how much I write about Raigad, it is not enough. I just think that Maharaj will not be understood by celebrating Shiv Jayanti for a day or two, but for this, this legacy should continue to be passed on from generation to generation through the conservation of forts that were dear to him more than life, and through the cultivation and implementation of his thoughts. I have seen many forts and many are still left, but Raigad will always be special to me.