The UNESCO has accepted the nomination of 14 forts from the era of 17th century Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the theme of Maratha Military Architecture in Tentative Lists of its World Heritage Site.
Which are the 14 Forts of Maratha Military Architecture?
- Raigad Fort: It was the capital fort of the Maratha Empire, which was rebuilt for the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
- Rajgad Fort (Pune): It was the capital of the Maratha Empire under Chhatrapati Shivaji for almost 26 years, before the capital moved to the Raigad Fort.
- Shivneri Fort (Pune): It is the birthplace of Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire. It consists of 7 gates. It is an example of Bahamani/ Nizamshahi architecture providing a backdrop to narrative of guerrilla warfare.
- Torna Fort (Pune): It was captured by Shivaji in 1646, when he was 16, and marked the beginning of the Maratha empire.
- Lohagad (Lonavala): It is believed to have been built in the 14th century. It is an example of Maratha hill fort architecture until Peshwa period.
- Salher Fort (Nashik): Located in Dolhari range, the fort witnessed a key battle in 1672 between Marathas and Mughals.
- Mulher Fort (Nashik): The fort is flanked by Mora to the east and Hatgad to the west. The surrender of Mulher fort ended the third Maratha War.
- Kasa Fort (Raigad): It is also known as Padmadurg. It was built on a rocky island off coast of Murud, and provided a base for naval military operations.
- Sindhudurg Fort (Sindhudurg): The fort was built by Shivaji in 1668. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town and is considered a masterpiece in military defence.
- Suvarnadurg: It is located between Mumbai and Goa on a small island in the Arabian Sea, near Harnai in Konkan. It was repaired and strengthened by Shivaji Maharaj in 1660.
- Alibag Fort: It is popularly known as Kulaba Fort. The Alibag fort was chosen as one of the forts to be modelled as a naval base by Chhatrapati Shivaji.
- Rangana Fort (Kolhapur): Aurangzeb tried to conquer it along with Bhudargad and Samangad in his Deccan campaign, did not succeed.
- Ankai Tankai Forts (Nashik): The Ankai and Tankai are separate forts on adjacent hills, with a common fortification wall.
(Sources: Indian Express and others)
