GAZETTEERS OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY

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PLACES

RAJMACHI FORT.

Description.

Ra'jma'Chi, or the Royal Terrace, is an isolated double-peaked fortified hill on the main line of the Sahyadris, about six miles as the crow flies and ten by path north of the Bor pass. From the Konkan, thickly wooded at the base, its sides rise about 2000 feet in steep rock slopes which, as they near the crest of the hill, grow gradually treeless and bare. Above the crest, from the flat hill top rises a rocky neck about 200 feet high, with, at either end, a short fortified tower-like head, the inner Shrivardhan that is Luck's Increase, high and pointed, the outer Manranjan that is the Heart-Gladdener, lower and flat-topped.

A tongue of land about 300 yards broad, joins the Rajmachi terrace to the rough plateau that runs along the crest of the Sahyadris north from Khandala.

Across this tongue of land, about half a mile from the foot of the central hill top, runs a strong stone wall, seventeen feet high and eight thick with a parapet loopholed for musketry and at intervals with bastions pierced for cannon. Within this line of wall a wide stretch of tilled woodland ensures for the garrison a full supply of grain, grass, and fuel. From this upland, at a safe distance from the neighbouring heights, the central hill top rises three to four hundred feet high, a sheer black overhanging cliff crowned by s battlemented peak, and towards the west strengthened by a double line of encircling walls. On the crest of the neck that joins the two peaks, fronting a small temple of Bhairav, stand three old stone lamp-pillars or dipmals and two small quaintly-carved stone chargers ready saddled and bridled for the god. The temple, which is little more than a hut, has three pairs of small black stone images of Bhairav and his wife Jogeshvari, presented, according to the temple servant, by Shivaji, Shahu, and Bajirav Peshwa.

From either end of the neck rise the steep fortified sides of Shrivardhan and Manranjan. Shrivardhan, the eastern and higher fort, less sheer to the south than to the north, is in places strengthened by a triple line of wall. On the south side, through the ruined gateway, is reached a chamber cut in the rock once used as a granary or storehouse, and close by a large open rock-cut reservoir. On the, north, in a narrow ledge of the steep cliff, hollowed into the hill and always sheltered from the sun, is a cistern with an unfailing supply of pure water. The inner fortification, with a few ruined dwellings, encloses the central peak, the gadhi or stronghold. [The Musalmans call it the Bala Killa or upper fort. But unlike most Deccan hill forts Rajmachi was never held by Musalmans and is throughout purely with neither a mosque nor an idgah, one or other of which is found in most Deccan forts] Manranjan the outer hill, less completely protected by nature, is very carefully fortified with two high strong lines of wall. Of these the outer line, running along the crest of the cliff, encloses some cisterns and reservoirs of cut-stone; the inner, encircling the flat hill top, has within it the powder magazine, a long low tomb-like roofless building of very closely fitting cut-stone, and close to it the ruins of the captain's house and a cistern. The western wallcommands the mind-pleasing or manranjan prospect that gives the fort its name. Below lies the royal terrace wooded and stream-furrowed to the north, bare and well tilled to the west, and to the south laid out in fields with a small lake and a shady hamlet, of Koli huts. North and south, beyond the plateau, stretches the main line of the Sahyadri hills, their sides rising from deep evergreen forests in bare black cliffs, to the rough thinlywooded part-tilled terrace that stretches eastwards into the Deccan plain and along the crest of the Sahyadris, which is broken by wild rocky peaks and headlands from Harishchandragad fifty miles to the north to Bhojya eighteen miles to the south. Westwards stretch outlying spurs and ranges with deep water-worn valleys and steep well-wooded sides. Far off to the right rise Mahuli, Gotaura, Tungar, and the Salsette hills; in front, beyond the long flat backs of Matheran and Prabal lie the harbour island and city of Bombay; and to the left sweep the long range of hills that by Nagothna and Sagargad passes from the Sahyadris to the extreme west of Alibag. [From Rajmachi, as the crow flies, Mahuli is about forty-six miles and Gotaura forty-seven miles; Bombay thirty-eight miles; Tungar, Kamandurg, and Sassu Navghar hills form one range extending from fortytwo to fiftytwo miles and Sagargad is thirtyfive miles.]

The first notice of Rajmachi is in 1648 when it was taken by Shivaji. [Grant Duffs Marathas, 63.] In 1713 the fort surrendered to Angria, [Grant Duffs Marathas, 193.] and was ceded by him in 1730 to the second Peshwa Bajirav (1721-1740). [Grant Duffs Marathas, 231.] In 1776 the impostor Sadoba, a Kanoja Brahman who called himself Sadashivrav Bhau, took the greater part of the Konkan and came to the Bor pass. Here he was opposed and his troops checked for a time but he headed them with spirit and carried the pass and Rajmachi sent him offers of submission. Pretended overtures of submission were made to him by the Poona ministers by which he was for a short time amused, until two of the Peshwa's officers suddenly fell on him in the neighbourhood of Rajmachi, when his whole force fled to the Konkan, and Sadoba escaped to Bombay. [Grant Duffs Marathas, 397.] In the Maratha war of 1818 the fort surrendered without resistance. [Pendhari and Maratha War Papers, 258. In these papers the fort is mentioned as Raiy Machee.]

RAJUR.

Ra'jur, ten miles west of Junnar, is a large village on the left bank of the Kukdi, with in 1881 a population of 3037. In the village, surrounded by three or four large flat stones and apparently at one end of a raised seat or pavement, about six inches from the ground, is a standing-stone or ubhi dhond. It is an undressed block of stone of which 5' 6" are above ground roughly square with faces varying in breadth from one foot to one foot and a quarter, the top as if half-sliced away. One of the large stones, laid on small rough stones to the left of the standing stone, measures 4' 7½ " long by 1 9" broad and 9" thick. The length of the raised pavement in front of the standing stone is 7 10. and the breadth 6' 10" There are no signs of tools and no letters. The people say it has been there since the beginning of time or mulpasun. It is not worshipped and they do not know who set it up. It was men not the Pandavs. About thirty yards to the west is a platform with large rough stones. A little further on the right, buried all but a few inches, is a Sati stone, and about twenty yards further west a second standing stone roughly pointed with 5' 2" above ground and faces about two feet broad.

About a hundred yards to the east of the village are the remains of three Musalman buildings of dressed stone. The first on the right is a ruined tomb of which nothing but the plinth is left. The next on the left is about twenty feet square and is in fair repair except that the dome is gone. Inside are three tombs two of men and one of a woman. There is an inscription over the north door. A few paces to the north-west is a small mosque about eighteen feet by sixteen, with plain masonry walls and a brick dome. Over the prayer niche is an inscription of two lines. There were corner minarets and a cornice but they are ruined. On the top of a mound, about a hundred paces to the north of the village, to the west is a ruined roofless temple of Mahadev with low walls. In the east face is a door with a carved threshold stone apparently belonging to a twelfth or thirteenth century temple. In front of the temple, about twenty feet to the east, is a row of old stones. On the left is a defaced stone with the remains of an open hand upheld in sign of blessing, a proof that the stone is a Sati stone. The next is a much defaced cobra stone or Nag Raj. The third is the upper part of a broken Sati stone. In the right corner, at the foot of the stone, is the figure of a dead man and a horse in the panel above. Near the top of the stone is an open right hand. The fifth and sixth stones are two battle stones too worn to be read. About two paces to the east, are two carved stones. On the stone to the right in the lowest of three panels are the Sati and her lord both lying down. In the panel above is the woman going to the place of sacrifice seated on a horse and holding something in her up stretched hands. In the top panel a man and woman worship what seems like a ling above and a bull below.

Approached from the east the stone buildings of the Musalman tomb and mosque are notable, and behind is a fine view of the great square shoulders of Chavand blocking the mouth of the Kukdi valley. To the left in the Kukdi valley, to the right are the castellated tops of Shambhua and behind and over-topping it the wild shoulder of Karkumba.

RANJANGAON.

ROTI.