Mumbai, Feb 10 (IANS) Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar will visit France to receive the UNESCO World Heritage certificate for 12 forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of ‘Hindavi Swarajya’.
From February 11 to 16, Minister Shelar will participate in a series of important events in Paris. During the visit, he will pay homage in a special ceremony to the half-bust statue of Bharat Ratna Mahamanav Babasaheb Ambedkar installed at the UNESCO Headquarters by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, said the release issued by the Minister’s office.
Following an extensive process spanning nearly one and a half years, UNESCO, at its 47th session held on July 11, 2025, inscribed 12 forts from the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the World Heritage List under the title ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’.
The official World Heritage certificate will be formally received in Paris by the delegation led by Minister Shelar.
“The network of forts envisioned and established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to safeguard Hindavi Swarajya against foreign invasions, ensure secure governance and promote public welfare stands as an exemplary model of military strategy and statecraft in Indian history. Today, this extraordinary legacy comprising 12 forts – Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Panhala, Shivneri, Lohagad, Salher, Sindhudurg, Suvarnadurg, Vijaydurg, Khanderi and Gingee in Tamil Nadu – has now emerged before the world as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” said the release.
In February 2025, a four-member delegation of the Government of Maharashtra, led by Minister Shelar, visited Paris to present a comprehensive technical and strategic case before UNESCO.
The present visit to formally receive the World Heritage certificate and witness this landmark moment in person marks a proud chapter of global recognition for the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the enduring legacy of the Maratha Empire.
During the visit, Minister Shelar will also hold separate meetings with the Director-General of UNESCO, subject experts and India’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Vishal Sharma.
Detailed discussions will be held regarding other proposed heritage sites from Maharashtra. He expressed confidence that this visit would further strengthen the State government’s ongoing efforts to secure World Heritage recognition for the Konkan rock art, Maharashtra’s sea forts and intangible cultural heritage traditions such as the Pandharpur Wari, Ganeshotsav and Dahi Handi.
Additionally, the delegation will study renowned museums in Paris, focusing on their management practices, exhibition design and the use of digital technologies to further enrich the development of the proposed world-class ‘Maharashtra Museum’ currently being established in Bandra, Mumbai.
–IANS
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