Overview

• On July 11 UNESCO formally inscribed 12 forts linked to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the serial site ‘Maratha Military Landscapes’, marking India’s 44th World Heritage entry.
• Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti coalition—BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP—celebrated at Vidhan Bhavan with banners, slogans and tributes.
• ICOMOS’s interim report flagged modern intrusions such as steel towers and ropeways at several forts and requested detailed site management plans to uphold Outstanding Universal Value.
• Congress leader Sachin Sawant and Shiv Sena (UBT) have warned that failure to address conservation shortfalls could lead to the forts being delisted under UNESCO rules.
• The inclusion elevates India to sixth place globally in UNESCO World Heritage listings and spotlights the forts’ strategic role in Shivaji’s decentralized military network.