Maratha Empire's 12 Iconic Forts Across Maharashtra And Tamil Nadu Get UNESCO World Heritage Site Tag — All You Need To Know

In a significant development, UNESCO has 'inscribed' the ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’—12 iconic forts of the Maratha Empire— to its World Heritage List, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced on Friday (11 July).

These 17th–19th century forts are spread across 12 iconic sites—11 in Maharashtra and one in Tamil Nadu.

The ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ was India’s official nomination for 2024-25 cycle.

The decision to inscribe the Indian nomination on on the UNESCO World Heritage List was taken at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee.

With this, ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ has become India’s 44th property to receive this recognition.

The proposal was sent to the consideration of World Heritage Committee in January 2024 and after a rigorous eighteen-month long process involving several technical meetings with the advisory bodies and visit of ICOMOS’s mission to review the sites, this historic decision was taken by the members of the World Heritage Committee on Friday (7 July) evening at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Spread across the states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the selected sites, include Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, along with Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.

Located across a range of diverse terrains—from coastal outposts to hilltop strongholds - these forts reflect a sophisticated understanding of geography and strategic defence planning.

Together, they form a cohesive military landscape that highlights the innovation and regional adaptation of fortification traditions in India.

Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad, and Gingee are situated in hilly terrains and are therefore known as hill forts.

Pratapgad, nestled within dense woods, is classified as a hill-forest fort. Panhala, located on a plateaued hill, is a hill-plateau fort.

Vijaydurg, positioned along the shoreline, is a notable coastal fort, while Khanderi, Suvarnadurg, and Sindhudurg, surrounded by the sea, are recognized as island forts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded the historic milestone and congratulated the people of India for this achievement.

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