CMO adds Rajgad to its list of five forts taken up for conservation

Pune: The state government has decided to add Rajgad to its earlier list of five forts to come under the conservation plan

Pune: The state government has decided to add Rajgad to its earlier list of five forts to come under the conservation plan. A committee of mountaineers is formed to look after the conservation of the historic structures.

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Rajgad (ruling fort) is situated in Pune district and was the capital of the Maratha empire under the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for almost 26 years, after which the capital was moved to the Raigad fort and was also one of the 12 forts that Shivaji Maharaj kept when he signed the Treaty of Purandar in 1665 with the Mughal general Jai Singh I. The fort is located 60 kms from Pune.

The five Shivaji-era forts comprising Shivneri and Torna in Pune district along with Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg and Sudhagad have been chosen for conservation by the government. The Chief Minister’s Office recently added Rajgad fort which is currently under the control of Maharashtra State Archaeology Department.

In October 2016, the central government had undertaken a similar initiative to maintain and develop five forts — Raigad, Rajgad, Sindhudurg, Panhala and Vijaydurg — and had appointed Rajya Sabha member Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati as brand ambassador for the project. Following the move, the Maharashtra State Tourism Department (MTDC) had planned to develop five heritage forts in Pune district as model monuments.

The CM has mooted the idea of bringing all the forts under one single department for their beautification and conservation under the CMO office.

According to heritage lovers, other important forts like Padmadurg or Kasa fort in Raigad, Paranda fort in Solapur, Arnala fort in Thane and other historical forts across the state must also be conserved.