Maratha Military Landscapes Join UNESCO World Heritage List: India's 44th Site Recognized

When the Maratha Military Landscapes, a collection of 12 outstanding forts, were inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 11, 2025, during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, India made a significant acknowledgment of its rich historical and architectural legacy. 

As the 44th World Heritage Site in India, they showcase the Maratha Empire's enduring impact on fort architecture and global heritage.

The Maratha Military Landscapes: What Are They?

The phrase "Maratha Military Landscapes" describes a group of 12 forts built by the Maratha kings between the 17th and 19th centuries that exhibit brilliant engineering, tactical skill, and terrain adaptation.  

Eleven of these forts are situated in Maharashtra—Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg—while Gingee Fort is located in Tamil Nadu.

These forts epitomize the Maratha Empire’s:

Strategic location: To defend the kingdom and control trade routes, forts were erected on plains, hills, and coasts.

Innovative military architecture includes safe fortification walls, sophisticated water storage systems, and camouflage that blends in with the surrounding landscape.

UNESCO Inscription Process and Recognition

India's formal proposal for the 2024–25 UNESCO World Heritage cycle was the culmination of a lengthy eighteen-month process, involving technical assessments by international advisory bodies and an in-depth scrutiny by the International Council on Monuments and Sites. The decision followed a 59-minute discussion, during which 18 out of 20 state parties welcomed India's bid with great enthusiasm.

The Maratha Military Landscapes were proposed under criteria (iv) and (vi):

• Criterion (iv): The forts present an excellent example of a class of building and technological complex showing an important stage in human history.

• Criterion (vi): They have direct links with living cultural traditions, especially those associated with the establishment and survival of the Maratha Empire.

UNESCO's inscription is also anticipated to stimulate conservation activities, global recognition, and tourism, and further strengthen local pride and active involvement with India's intangible heritage.

National and International Importance

India is now sixth in the world and second in Asia-Pacific rankings for having the most World Heritage Sites.

This achievement comes after the 2024 addition of the Moidams of Charaideo in Assam, which showcases the richness and diversity of Indian heritage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's Minister of Culture, and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra congratulated the nation by declaring that these forts generate national pride and remind all Indians of the Maratha tradition of good government, strength, and cultural pride.

The listing of the Maratha Military Landscapes on the UNESCO World Heritage List solidifies their position in world cultural memory and reiterates India's indispensable contribution to the world's heritage fabric.