In times of Shivshahi, Rajgad fort is a public toilet

Located approximately 55 km south of Pune, Rajgad stands at a height of 4,574 ft above mean sea level. Shivaji designed it exclusively for war, therefore, though it was his residence for two decades, he did not allow fancy palaces. Its special features are the doubly fortified ramparts, a feature which no other hill fort in Maharashtra has.

Strategically placed in conjunction with Purandhar fort on one side and Sinhagad on the other, the fort was the residence of Shivajiand his mother and mentor Jijabai for over 20 years. It was from here that Shivaji launched his campaigns against Afzal Khan of Bijapur and the two generals of Aurangazeb — Shaista Khan and Mirza Raje Jai Singh.

In terms of Maratha history and ethos, Rajgad is arguably the most important fort, because Shivaji used the fort as his base to achieve his goal of Hindavi Swaraj.

Being in the rugged ranges of Sahyadri in the heavy rainfall region, its preservation is a difficult proposition even otherwise. However, in the past, stray visitors and trekkers contributed their mite in keeping it clean and scrupulously ensuring that none of the historical structures was even slightly damaged, things have changed today. Most trekkers have no sentimental involvement in the history of the fort. For them it is just a camping site during their treks and a secluded place to have a good time.

During the past couple of years, plants have sprouted all over the place, threatening the foundation of the walls. A spokesman ofthe State archaeological department back in Pune claimed that these plants are supposed to be chemically treated and killed to prevent any damage to the walls. Unfortunately, physical evidence suggests a very sad and different story.

Today the fort lies littered with non-biodegradable waste dumped by callous trekkers who have also turned the place into an open-air toilet. This, one of the most important forts in Maratha history and the pre-coronation capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji, is slowly eroding away, thanks to official apathy and the callousness of the modern-day trekkers.

Declared a protected monument under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeology Sites and Remains Act, 1960, the fort comes under the purview of archaeological department of the Maharashtra State government.