Rajgad Fort Night Trek

Rajgad fort, As the name, suggests "King of forts". It is to the south-west 40 Kms from Pune. It boasts the highest number of days stayed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on any fort. He spent almost 25 - 30 years approx. Rajgad is famous for its construction. The fort can be divided into four different parts based on geographical terrain and fortification. There are three sub-plateaux (Machee) namely PadmavatiMachee, Suvela Machee, and SanjevaniMachee, and at the center is the Ballekilla. PadmavatiMachee (north end): This machee is the site of Padmavati Temple, Padmavati Lake, ChorDarwaja, PaliDarwaja, GunjavaneDarwaja, DaruKothar (storage of arms and ammunition), Diwankhana, Rajwada (ruins), Ghod Tale (Horse Lake), Sadar (office) and Dhalkathi (flag hoisting place).

Summary:-
Type: Hill Fort
Height: 4182 feet.
Base Village: Gunjavne

More about Rajgad:-
SanjeevaniMachee (southwest/west end): This huge, beautiful and royally constructed machee faces west and has a three-stepped (layered) fortified structure. Each of the lower levels is separated from the higher one by a fortified bastion with a gate that could be defended independently. The lowest level is beautifully fortified by double curtain walls (chilkhathi) separated by a deep trench, on average 12 feet across. One can walk between these walls. The outer wall has openings to let soldiers out for a sudden attack. 

SuvelaMachee (southeast): This is another grand machee facing east with lots of secret routes and doorways. This one is a double-stepped fortified machee with the steps separated by a beautiful bastioned doorway. At the end of the first step, a hole cuts across the rock; one can sit in this hole (nedhe). The final (lowest) step like SanjeevaniMachee has a double curtain wall. To the south side of this machee one can see a beautiful triangular bastion called Kaleswariburuz having an escape door near it. The home of the renowned military leader TanajiMalusare was in this machee.

Bale Killa (center): This is the highest part of the fort which has remains of palaces, water cisterns, and caves. It has a beautiful entrance door called Mahadarwaja. One can view the whole fort and the vast surrounding expanse.