Rajgad Fort

Rajgad, the ruling fort, stands at 1,376 metres in the Sahyadri range, about 60 kilometres south-west of Pune and 15 west of Nasrapur. Once called Murumbdev after the hill of the goddess Murumba, it served as the first capital of the Maratha state under Shivaji for nearly 26 years before the seat moved to Raigad. Treasure found at neighbouring Torna paid for its building, and Shivaji spent more days here than at any other fort.

The fort saw the birth of Rajaram, the death of Shivaji's wife Saibai, his return from Agra, and the placing of Afzal Khan's severed head within the walls of the Balle Killa gate. Shivaji kept it among his 12 forts under the 1665 Treaty of Purandar. Ruins of palaces, cisterns and caves remain, and it is a popular climb in the monsoon. In 2025 it became part of the Maratha Military Landscapes World Heritage Site.