Maharashtra govt seeks World Heritage Site tag for 14 forts; here is how UNESCO usually grants the tag

In order to seek the World Heritage Site tag for 14 forts in the state, the Maharashtra government has prepared and submitted a tentative “serial” nomination for these sites. All 14 of them belong to the era of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century and these forts have been built on the theme of Maratha Military Architecture. The Ministry of Culture after a serial nomination by the Archaeological Survey of India has forwarded the list to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a report by The IE noted. The nominations have been accepted in the Tentative Lists that UNESCO considers for giving tags of World Heritage Site.

How the tags are given

Well, the operational guidelines of the World Heritage Convention clearly states that a country has to submit a tentative list where “inventory” of properties are stated. These properties are expected to be the ones which, according to a country, deserves to be a World Heritage Site. After this, UNESCO assesses and includes a property in the Tentative List. Once this is done, that country will have to prepare a nomination document for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for consideration.

To be sure, any property being tagged as a World Heritage Site, the location has to have an “outstanding universal value”. This means that the site must signify any cultural or a natural significance which can further be termed as exceptional. The site is also expected to “transcend national boundaries” and become a place of importance for everyone in the present and the future.

The 14 sites listed by Maharashtra includes Raigad Fort, Shivneri Fort, Rajgad Fort, Torna Fort, Salher Fort, Lohagad, Rangana Fort, Mulher Fort, Ankai Tankai Forts, Sindhudurg Fort, Kasa Fort, Alibag Fort, Suvarnadurg and Khanderi Fort. Notably, all these forts have historical significance of either the Peshwa rule or battle between the Marathas and Mughals. Some of them also served as army or naval bases for the Maratha fighters.