Int’l support helps 12 Maratha forts scoop Unesco World Heritage label

{ 44TH SITE IN INDIA

- Vrinda Tulsian

India achieved a key cultural and diplomatic victory on Friday as 12 historic Maratha forts were inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List, overcoming strong opposition from the advisory body that had recommended deferring the nomination.

The “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” became the countrys 44th World Heritage Site following intense debate at the World Heritage Committee session in Paris, where more than a dozen member states rallied behind India’s bid, rejecting advice from ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). The inscription recognises a strategic defence network developed between the 17th and 19th centuries across present-day Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The inscribed forts—Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, along with Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu—showcase the Marathas’ sophisticated military planning across diverse terrains from coastal islands to hilltops.