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The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Visit forts of Maratha Military Landscapes which made it to UNESCO list: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (July 12, 2025) urged every Indian to visit the forts of the Maratha Military Landscapes, which have been included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. The 'Maratha Military Landscapes' include 12 majestic forts, 11 of which are in Maharashtra and one is in Tamil Nadu. '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,' Mr. Modi said in a post on X. At the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee on Friday (July 11, 2025), India's official nomination for the 2024-25 cycle, 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India', got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India's 44th property to receive this recognition. Spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, this extraordinary network of 12 forts demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire, according to an official statement by the Union Culture Ministry. 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. The proposal was submitted to the World Heritage Committee for consideration in January 2024. After a rigorous 18-month-long process involving several technical meetings with the advisory bodies and a visit by ICOMOS's mission to review the sites, this decision was taken by the members of the World Heritage Committee at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. India also has 62 sites in the Tentative List of the World Heritage, which is a mandatory threshold for any site to be considered as a World Heritage property in the future. Every year, each State party may propose just one site for consideration by the World Heritage Committee for inscription on the World Heritage List.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Indians elated with Unesco tag for 'Maratha Military Landscapes': PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the inscription of 'Maratha Military Landscapes' on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and said every Indian is elated with this recognition. 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, was on Friday inscribed on the coveted list. This is India's 44th property to receive the recognition. In a post on X, Modi said, "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." "Every Indian is elated with this recognition. These 'Maratha Military Landscapes' include 12 majestic forts, 11 of which are in Maharashtra and 1 is in Tamil Nadu," he added. Modi called upon everyone to visit these forts and learn about the rich history of the Maratha Empire. On the latest addition to the World Heritage List, the Culture Ministry said it reflected the country's enduring cultural legacy and showcased its diverse traditions of architectural brilliance, regional identity and historical continuity. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Every Indian is elated with this recognition": PM Modi as 'Maratha Military Landscapes' gets UNESCO tag
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stated that every India is elated with this recognition and said when we speak of the glorious Maratha Empire, we associate it with good governance and emphasis on social welfare as 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India' got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India's 44th property to receive this recognition. In a post on X, PM Modi said, 'Every Indian is elated with this recognition. These 'Maratha Military Landscapes' include 12 majestic forts, 11 of which are in Maharashtra and 1 is in Tamil Nadu. 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' In a remarkable decision taken at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee, India's official nomination for 2024-25 cycle, 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India' got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India's 44th property to receive this recognition. This global accolade celebrates India's enduring cultural legacy, showcasing its diverse traditions of architectural brilliance, regional identity, and historical continuity, the Ministry of Culture said in an official statement. Spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, this extraordinary network of twelve forts demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire. The proposal was sent to the consideration of World Heritage Committee in Jan 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 today evening at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, the Ministry said. 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 The inscription took place during 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, France, marking a significant milestone in the global acknowledgment of India's rich and diverse cultural heritage. During the Committee Meeting, 18 out of the 20 State Parties supported India's proposal to get this important site inscribed in the list. The discussion on the proposal went on for 59 mins and after the positive recommendations by 18 State Parties, all the member states, UNESCO, World Heritage Centre, and Advisory Bodies of the UNESCO (ICOMOS, IUCN IUCN) congratulated the delegation of India for this momentous opportunity. Last year, the Moidams of Charaideo, Assam were inscribed in the World Heritage List at the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi. India ranks 6th globally and 2nd in Asia Pacific Region for the most number of World Heritage Sites. 196 nations have ratified the World Heritage Convention, 1972. India also has 62 sites in the Tentative List of the World Heritage, which is a mandatory threshold for any site to be considered as a World Heritage property in future. Every year, each State Party may propose just one site for consideration of the World Heritage Committee for inscription to the World Heritage List, the release stated. (ANI)

The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu's Gingee Fort inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Gingee Fort in Villupuram district, known as the 'Troy of the East', along with 11 other forts that make up the Maratha Military Landscapes, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Friday, July 11, 2025, a move that brings global recognition and the prospect of increased international tourism. The decision was taken during the ongoing 47th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in Paris. According to a press release: 'The proposal was sent to the consideration of World Heritage Committee in January 2024, and after a rigorous 18-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 today evening at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.' The Maratha Military Landscapes of India includes 12 components distributed across diverse geographic regions. Of these, 11 sites are in Maharashtra. The Gingee Fort in Villupuram was the lone aspirant from Tamil Nadu for the World Heritage Site tag. The nomination for the UNESCO tag was submitted for the 2024-25 cycle. An expert committee from the International Commission on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) concluded the site visits covering the 12 sites, including Gingee Fort, in September last year, and the Maratha landscapes were officially nominated by the Centre as India's entry for 2024-25. According to an official in the State Department of Archaeology, 'Development and Research Organisation for Nature, Arts and Heritage (DRONAH), an interdisciplinary organisation, had prepared the Nomination Dossier and Management Plan for Gingee Fort's nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dossier was prepared as per the UNESCO Operational Guidelines for World Heritage Convention and includes description of the property, justification for inscription, state of conservation, and factors affecting the property, protection and management, monitoring and documentation.' History of the fort The 'Troy of the East' located atop three hillocks — Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, and Chandragiri — was considered impregnable and was a symbol of the State's glorious past. It had witnessed the rise and fall of successive empires spanning centuries. Built by Ananta Kon of the Konar Dynasty in 1,200 CE, the ownership of the fort changed hands several times. It was under the possession of several empires, such as the Vijayanagar Nayaks, Marathas, Mughals, Nawabs, the French, and the British. According to D. Ramesh, assistant professor of history, Arignar Anna Government Arts College, Villupuram: 'The inscription of the fort as a World Heritage Site will further boost tourism. The first fortification was built by Ananda Kon in the 12th Century. His successor fortified the northern hill in 1,240 CE and called it Krishnagiri, while the other buildings and structures were raised by successive rulers. The next comprehensive constructions at the fort were done under the auspices of the Vijayanagar Empire.' The fort was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1677. 'It remained under Maratha rule till it came under the control of the Mughals in 1698. It was ruled by Raja Desingh (Tej Singh) for a brief period before it was taken over by the Arcot Nawabs in 1714 and remained under their control till 1749. The fort was with the French from 1750 to 1770 before slipping into the hands of the British,' he said. Spread over 11 acres, the fort houses a stepped well, a Kalyana Mahal, a durbar hall, a cannon, a clock tower, an armoury, an elephant tank, a stable, a granary, a gymnasium, the Venkataramana temple, and the Sadathtulla mosque. The fortress had two elaborate systems for water supply, corresponding to the Nayaks and the Nawab period, which at one time had ensured that even the top of the structure had continuous supply.


New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Every Indian elated with UNESCO recognition of 'Maratha Military Landscapes': PM
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the inscription of 'Maratha Military Landscapes' on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and said every Indian is elated with this recognition. 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, was on Friday inscribed on the coveted list. This is India's 44th property to receive the recognition. In a post on X, Modi said, "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.