India has nominated the ‘Maratha Military Landscapes’, a network of 12 forts across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu(TN) for inclusion in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)World Heritage list for 2024-25 under the category of ‘Cultural Sites’.
- These forts showcases the strategic military powers of Maratha rule.
- The 12 components under this nomination are forts of Salher, Shivneri, Lohagad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
Details – ‘Maratha Military Landscapes’:
i.Among the 12 components of Maratha Military Landscapes, 8(forts of Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and Gingee fort) are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and 4 (forts of Salher, Rajgad, Khanderi and Pratapgarh) are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.
ii.Fort Type: forts of Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad and Gingee fort are hill forts, Pratapgad is hill-forest fort, Panhala is hill-plateau fort, Vijaydurg is coastal fort, and Khanderi fort, Suvarnadurg and Sindhudurg are island forts.
iii.The forts developed between 17th and 19th centuries represents the fortification and military system of Maratha rulers.
Note: These landscapes(except Gingee fort) were included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites under “Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra” in 2021.
About World Heritage Site:
i.A world heritage site can be either cultural or natural areas or objects which are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for having outstanding universal value.
- These sites are usually considered to have cultural significance to all the people in the world.
ii.UNESCO seeks to protect and preserve such sites through the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This international treaty was drawn up in 1972.
India’s UNESCO World Heritage sites:
i.At present in India, there are 42 World Heritage sites out of which 34 are cultural sites, seven are natural sites and one is a mixed site.
ii.Maharashtra houses 6 UNESCO Heritage Sites. This includes 5 cultural sites – Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and 1 natural site – Western Ghats (2012).
Recent Related News:
i.Santiniketan in West Bengal(WB) and Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas in Karnataka were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Santiniketan is the 41st and Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas is the 42nd World Heritage site in India. Both were listed under the Cultural heritage category.
ii.The 45th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, concluding on September 25. This session witnessed the addition of 42 new sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, alongside other significant decisions. The committee was chaired by H.H. Princess Haifa Al Mogrin, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO):
Director-General – Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters – Paris, France
Establishment – 1945 (came into force in 1946)
