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Wasn't easy to get Maratha Landscapes inscribed, so victory sweeter: India's envoy to UNESCO

New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) A voluminous dossier, a dedicated coffee-table book, and a spirited campaign helped India navigate challenges, including a "deferral" recommendation, to earn the inscription of the 'Maratha Military Landscapes' on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On Friday, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) at its 47th session held in Paris, inscribed India's serial nomination consisting of 12 forts, representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, on the coveted list. While the journey from the nomination to the inscription wasn't easy for Team India, sustained efforts led to a crowning triumph at UNESCO. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, delivered the statement on New Delhi's behalf after the inscription was announced. "This is a historic day, not only for India, but especially for Marathi people all over the world. The rich cultural heritage of the Marathas has been honoured by the recognition of its Outstanding Universal Value by the international community," he said. In a telephonic interview with PTI shortly after delivering the remarks at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, Sharma shared India's success story and what it took to earn the prestigious recognition. "It was excellent teamwork, but it was not very easy to get the Maratha Military Landscapes inscribed," he recalled. "I thank the government of Maharashtra, the Indian Culture Ministry, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the Ministry of External Affairs. We had to do coordination with 20 different countries, and it's an excellent example of teamwork," Sharma told PTI over the phone. Sharma said the Indian nomination had received a "deferral recommendation" by the advisory body, ICOMOS. A deferral recommendation means the advisory body does not want it to be inscribed. The Paris-based International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is one of the key advisory bodies to UNESCO, and its experts visit the nominated sites. He said Team India "pointed out the mistakes, factual errors from the advisory body's side". "It's a technical argument, like you fight it in a court... So, on a video conference with members of 20 countries, we explained to them the technicalities and why it deserves to be on the World Heritage List. We presented our case... and we won the case, so that's why the victory is even sweeter," Sharma said. The proposal was sent to the WHC in January 2024, and the inscription comes after a "rigorous 18-month-long process" involving several technical meetings with the advisory bodies and a visit by the ICOMOS mission to review the sites, the culture ministry said in a statement on Friday. The nomination for the UNESCO tag was for the 2024-25 cycle. The 'Maratha Military Landscapes' was developed between the 17th and 19th centuries. The 12 components of the inscribed property are - Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay Durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. These components, distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, showcase the strategic military powers of the Maratha rule, the Indian officials had earlier said. There are more than 390 forts in Maharashtra, out of which only 12 forts were selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes of India; of these, eight forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the ministry earlier said. Sharma said the advisory body was "primarily concerned" as to what the criteria for selection were, and why not more forts. "Then we had to justify that there was a hierarchy of system, primary, secondary and tertiary forts. And, these 12 were the main ones, and then we explained to various other Member States," he said. The Indian envoy to UNESCO also said, "There isn't much awareness" about the forts in western and southern parts of India vis-a-vis those in Rajasthan. "So, we took this opportunity to promote Maharashtra and Maharashtra tourism also", among the international community. And, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's royal seal 'Raj Mudra' was circulated to explain to them the philosophy of the Marathas --- the well-being of the people, he added. Also, a coffee-table book titled 'Maratha Military Landscapes' was commissioned by the government of Maharashtra and circulated to them, Sharma said. From one perspective, it was a "challenge, and we got an opportunity to talk about our cultural sites", forts beyond Rajasthan, he added. Asked about the size of the nomination dossier, Sharma described it as "massive", adding, "it's a nomination of a lifetime, I must tell you." "Any such dossier runs into 1,000-1,500 pages, and ours is a substantial one, it's like a PhD thesis," he emphasised. After the nomination was sent, "I had given a 61-point action plan to the government of Maharashtra, and one of those was hosting a painting competition for school children in villages, to build awareness, and it was held. The other was the coffee-table book". On other countries' properties being recognised by UNESCO, Sharma said, when one sees the "global diversity" being recognised, it makes you feel very happy." "This is the epitome of culture acting as a unifying force. You feel happy if your property is inscribed, you feel happy if some other country's property is inscribed," he said. PTI KND RHL

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