Raigad Fort to be transformed into 'destination of inspiration': Amit Shah

'Students from Class VII to Class XII must come here to draw inspiration,' Shah said and referred to the life and times of Shivaji.

Raigad: The Raigad Fort, from where the iconic Maratha warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation of ‘Hindavi-swarajya’, will be transformed into a "destination of inspiration" to encourage nation building values in children.

“The Raigad Fort is not just a destination of tourism…it is a destination of inspiration…the Central government and the Maharashtra government is committed to transforming the Raigad Fort as a destination of inspiration,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.

“Students from Class VII to Class XII must come here to draw inspiration,” he said and referred to the life and times of Shivaji.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj means determination, dedication, sacrifice…Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj means bravery, self-respect and the eternal desire for independence,” the Home Minister said.

“Shivcharitra should be glorified to inculcate all these values in every child of India,” he added.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680) was coronated in Raigad Fort on 6 June, 1674 - and it is from here he laid the foundation of ‘Hindavi-Swarajya’ of self-rule of the Hindu-people.

Speaking at an event to commemorate the 245th death anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj, Shah paid rich tributes to Rajmata Jijau, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

“The legacy of Shivaji Maharaj is not just limited to Maharashtra, but his legacy is an inspiration for the country,” Shah said amid thunderous applause.

“Neither luck was with him (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) nor the past was with him, neither did he have money nor an army. A child with his indomitable courage and determination gave the mantra of Swaraj to the entire country,” he said.

“In no time, he shattered the 200-year-old Mughal rule and freed the country,” he said that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who called himself Alamgir, is buried in this land.

“The consciousness created by Shivaji Maharaj became the carrier of Hindu Swabhiman (self-respect). Today the resolve for Hindu Swaraj has become so strong that the country can take the resolve that when 100 years of independence will be completed, then India would rank the first in the world,” he said.

“Shivaji Maharaj's last message was to carry on the mission of Swaraj, Swadharma and Swabhasha...this should never stop,” he said, adding that this fight is continuing under the leadership of Prime Minister Amit Shah. “Modi is working to place India at a proud place in the entire world,” he added.

Among those present include Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.

BJP’s Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale and Satara MLA and state minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, both 13th descendents of Shivaji Maharaj were present on the occasion.

The Raigad Fort

Once impregnable by military standards, the Raigad Fort is an ideal representation of the intelligent Maratha architecture in the 17th century. One of the strongest forts in the Deccan Plateau and known as ‘Gibraltar of the East’ or ‘Durg Raj’, the King of Forts, it was from here the legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation of the “Hindavi-swarajya” or self-rule of the Hindu people. Shivaji Maharaj was coronated in Raigad Fort on 6 June, 1674 - a golden moment in India’s history. Shivaji Maharaj died on 3 April 1680, aged 50, in this fort. In 1765, the fort was the location of an armed campaign by the British East India Company. Finally, on 9 May 1818, the grand fort was looted and destroyed by the Britishers. The Raigad Fort - which rises 820 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level in the picturesque Sahyadri mountain ranges - comes under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).