Maratha Military Landscapes Added to UNESCO World Heritage List

UNESCO has added 12 Maratha-era forts to its World Heritage List, recognizing their historical and architectural significance. Among these, 11 forts are located in Maharashtra and one—Gingee Fort—is in Tamil Nadu. All these forts were built between the 17th and 19th centuries.

The Maharashtra forts include iconic sites such as Raigad (where Chhatrapati Shivaji was crowned), Shivneri, Sindhudurg, Salher, Lohgad, Khanderi, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, and Vijaydurg.

This declaration was made at the 47th session of UNESCO in Paris, giving global recognition to the rich history and heritage of the Maratha Empire. With this addition, India now has a total of 44 World Heritage Sites.