'Maratha Military Landscapes' nominated for UNESCO World Heritage list 2024-25

The 'Maratha Military Landscapes' of India, a remarkable collection of fortifications that showcase the strategic military prowess of the Maratha rulers, has been chosen as India's nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2024-25 cycle. 

This announcement was made by the Ministry of Culture on January 29, 2024.

The nomination includes a series of 14 fortifications, which are strategically located across diverse geographical regions such as hills, seashores, and islands. These forts, developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary example of military architecture that integrates with the landscape and terrain of the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, the Deccan Plateau, and the Eastern Ghats.

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The twelve component parts of this nomination are Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. Out of the more than 390 forts in Maharashtra, these 12 have been selected for their historical significance and unique architectural features. Eight of these forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, while the remaining four are under the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.

The 'Maratha Military Landscapes' is nominated under cultural criteria (iii), (iv), and (vi) of the World Heritage List, which include bearing exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition, being an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural ensemble, and being associated with events or traditions of outstanding universal significance.

India currently boasts 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with Maharashtra alone housing six, including five cultural and one natural site. 

The 'Maratha Military Landscapes' were added to the Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2021 and, if successful, will become the sixth cultural property from Maharashtra to be included in the World Heritage List.