Maharashtra celebrates after UNESCO recognition of Shivaji forts

Mumbai: Celebrations broke out in Maharashtra after 12 iconic forts associated with the life and times of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj got included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

After the honour, political parties and experts emphasized the need for conservation of Maharashtra's heritage and removal of encroachments.

The ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ is the 44th UNESCO World Heritage Site in India—a testament to rich civilizational legacy, indigenous military engineering, and architectural brilliance.

“When we speak of the glorious Maratha Empire, we associate it with good governance, military strength, cultural pride and emphasis on social welfare. The great rulers inspire us with their refusal to bow to any injustice. I call upon everyone to go visit these forts and learn about the rich history of the Maratha Empire,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

“These magnificent 17th–19th century forts, spread across 12 iconic sites—11 in Maharashtra and 1 in Tamil Nadu—stand as timeless symbols of strategic mastery, ecological harmony, and the Maratha spirit of resilience,” said Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Reacting the development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said: “This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula. This is the ‘outstanding universal value’.”

The 12 component parts of this nomination are, Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad Fort, Khanderi Fort, Raigad Fort, Rajgad Fort, Pratapgad Fort, Suvarnadurg Fort, Panhala Fort, Vijaydurg Fort, Sindhudurg Fort in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.

“Now one can hope that these 11 forts in Maharashtra will get preserved properly. Once UNESCO gives the status of World Heritage Site, there are very strict criteria for the conservation and renovation of those structures, which will have to be followed, and the forts of our Maharaj will get the attention they deserve. Now the state government will receive funds for the conservation of these forts and the state should also allocate some more themselves,” MNS President Raj Thackeray said.

“Every single government in the past had left these forts in a state of disrepair, making it impossible to invite the world to visit them and show them the glory of our Maharaj and Maharashtra. I hope that this will change now. I have been saying this for many years that if we preserve the forts built by Maharaj and preserve the coastline Maharashtra has been blessed with, and if we make the necessary infrastructure available for tourism, the state’s economy will truly soar,” he added.

Saying that it should not be taken for granted, he said: “If the criteria are not followed properly, the status gets withdrawn. So far there have been two such examples in the world. One example is the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman and the other one is the Dresden Valley in Germany. The Dresden Valley got the World Heritage status, but it was taken away in 2009 due to non-compliance with the criteria.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said: “These forts are the embodiment of valor, strength, culture, and the resolute willpower of Swarajya. We believe that through this, the radiant history of the Marathas will be unveiled to the entire world. Now, the responsibility of the state government to carefully preserve and protect this heritage has increased. The government must take concrete steps for this. We will support the government in every such step."