India's Nomination: 'Maratha Military Landscape' for UNESCO World Heritage List 2024-25

India has officially nominated the 'Maratha Military Landscape' for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2024-25 cycle. The Ministry of Culture announced this decision, presenting 12 components that highlight the extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, offering a vibrant glimpse into India's history.

In its official statement, the Culture Ministry emphasized that these twelve components, including Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Gingee fort in Tamil Nadu, showcase the strategic military prowess of the Maratha rule in diverse geographical and physiographic regions.

The 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India,' developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, integrating distinctive landscapes and terrains across the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau, and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula.

However, this isn't the first consideration for the Maratha Military Landscape, as it was previously included in the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2021.

There are over 390 forts in Maharashtra, but only 12 forts are selected under the 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India.' Eight of these forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), including Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, and Gingee fort. The remaining four forts — Salher fort, Rajgad, Khanderi fort, and Pratapgarh — are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.