Lok Sabha Question No. 2316 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Inclusion of Maratha Forts in UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Sudheer Gupta, Shri Manish Jaiswal, Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2316

ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025

## INCLUSION OF MARATHA FORTS IN UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

## 2316.  SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO:

SHRI MANISH JAISWAL:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether 12 Maratha forts have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the country recently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the names and locations of the said forts;
- (c) the criteria adopted/used for nominating/including these sites into the UNESCO List;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  promote  tourism,  conservation  and  infrastructure development around these forts and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the details of the budgetary allocations or partnership with State Government and other Stakeholders; and
- (f) the details of the places to be  included  in future in the State  of  Maharashtra, MadhyaPradesh and Jharkhand?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) Yes  Sir,  the  property  titled  'Maratha  Military  Landscapes  of  India',  comprising  12
- & Maratha  forts,  was  inscribed  on  the  UNESCO  World  Heritage  List  during  the  47th
- (b) session  of  the  World  Heritage  Committee  held  in  UNESCO  Headquarters,  Paris  this year. The list of these forts is enclosed at Annexure I.
- (c) The Maratha Military Landscapes of India has been inscribed under Criteria (iv) and (vi) as per UNESCO's Operational Guidelines.
- (d) Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) takes up conservation and maintenance work of
- & protected  monuments  and  sites  including  provision  of  amenities  like  drinking  water,
- (e) toilet  blocks,  pathways  and  landscaping etc. throughout  the country. Conservation and maintenance of monuments and archaeological sites is a continuous process and is taken up  as  per  the  need  of  monuments  and  availability  of  resources.  However,  funds  are

allocated as per the need of monuments. The details of funds allocated for conservation and maintenance of CPMs under Mumbai Circle during the last three years are as under:

|   Sr. No | Year    |   Allocation (Rs. in Crores) |
|----------|---------|------------------------------|
|        1 | 2022-23 |                        15.35 |
|        2 | 2023-24 |                        15.56 |
|        3 | 2024-25 |                        12.58 |

- (f) Currently, 2 properties from Maharashtra and 11 properties from Madhya Pradesh have been included in the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. However, no property from Jharkhand features in the Tentative List. Inclusion in the Tentative List is a mandatory prerequisite  for  proceeding  with  World  Heritage  nomination.  Details  of  the  properties included in the Tentative List are provided at Annexure II.

*****

Annexure-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2316 FOR 04.08.2025.

## Forts of Serial Nomination of Maratha Military Landscape of India

|   Sr No. | Name of the Fort   | District   | State       |
|----------|--------------------|------------|-------------|
|        1 | Raigad fort        | Raigad     | Maharashtra |
|        2 | Rajgad Fort        | Pune       | Maharashtra |
|        3 | Shivneri Fort      | Pune       | Maharashtra |
|        4 | Pratapgarh Fort    | Satara     | Maharashtra |
|        5 | Panhala Fort       | Kolhapur   | Maharashtra |
|        6 | Vijaydurg Fort     | Sindhudurg | Maharashtra |
|        7 | Lohagad            | Pune       | Maharashtra |
|        8 | Salher Fort        | Nashik     | Maharashtra |
|        9 | Sindhudurg         | Sindhudurg | Maharashtra |
|       10 | Suvarnadurg        | Ratnagiri  | Maharashtra |
|       11 | Khanderi Fort      | Raigad     | Maharashtra |
|       12 | Gingee Fort        | Villupuam  | Tamilnadu   |

## Madhya Pradesh

|   1. | The historic ensemble of Orchha                                    | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2019 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------------------------|
|    2 | The historic ensemble of Dhamnar                                   | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2024 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    3 | The Gond monuments of Ramnagar, Mandla                             | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2024 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    4 | The Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple, Bhojpur                             | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2024 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    5 | Rock Art Sites of the Chambal Valley                               | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2024 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    6 | KhooniBhandara, Burhanpur                                          | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2024 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    7 | Gwalior Fort                                                       | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2024 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    8 | Serial nomination for Ashokan Edict sites along the Mauryan Routes | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Adhra Pradesh, Gujrat |   2025 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|    9 | Serial nomination of Chausath Yogini Temples                       | Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha                             |   2025 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|   10 | Serial nomination of Gupta Temples in North India                  | Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar                               |   2025 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |
|   11 | The Palace-Fortresses of the Bundelas                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                |   2025 | Govt of Madhya Pradesh   |

## Maharashtra

|   1. | Geoglyphs of Konkan Region of India                                | Maharashtra   |   2022 | Govt of Maharashtra          |
|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|--------|------------------------------|
|    2 | Serial nomination of Coastal Fortifications along the Konkan Coast | Maharashtra   |   2024 | ASI and Govt. of Maharashtra |

Annexure-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (f) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2316 FOR 04.08.2025.

## Property Included in the Tentative List