Recently, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization gave World Heritage status to the Maratha Military Landscapes. This includes twelve forts that once held the heartbeat of the Maratha Empire. These forts are not just ancient stones. They are our pride, our strength, our living story of fighting for freedom long before freedom became a word for the rest of India.
People everywhere have been made to see India only through the picture of the Taj Mahal, Delhi’s ancient markets, the Red Fort, and the crowded lanes of Chandni Chowk. Tourists land in Delhi, take a photo at the Taj Mahal in Agra, buy a souvenir, and go home thinking they have seen India. But India is not just marble tombs or royal courts left behind by muslim foreign rulers. India is also the hills, valleys, and forts that shielded this country from being lost forever. India is the spirit of those who gave their blood with bravery to protect their homeland, to build Swarajya, to remind every Indian that this Bharatvarsh is yours and you are the true rulers of this land. That side of the story is the Maratha story. Maharashtra is the land that gave India its backbone when no one else dared to stand up. These forts are the reason our temples, our culture, our languages, and our roots stayed alive when invaders tried to destroy everything. These forts were the backbone of the Maratha Empire, and the Maratha Empire was the backbone of Bharatvarsh.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj showed the world how to build forts in places no army could easily conquer, how to use mountains, forests and coasts to protect people, how to fight with sharp minds and not just swords. He respected every religion, protected women and ran a fair and visionary administration that still feels ahead of its time. After him, the Marathas did not stop. They carried that flame forward. They marched from these hills to North India to protect Delhi when Ahmad Shah Abdali attacked. Many never returned home from Panipat. They gave up their lives for a country that was bigger than their own soil. And when they controlled Delhi, they never forced their language or culture on others. That the real vision Shivaji Maharaj gave us.
Look at these twelve forts now honoured by UNESCO. Each one has its own heartbeat. Raigad the throne of Swarajya, the fort that witnessed Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation, where he became Chhatrapati. It shows the world what sovereignty means, what freedom means. Rajgad, Shivneri, Pratapgad, Lohagad, Salher, Suvarnadurg, Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg, Panhala, Khanderi and Gingee, each one tells a story of how our ancestors used mountains, seas and forests to protect our people. Together, they show the world the real strength of Maratha power.
This recognition will not just keep these forts alive in dusty textbooks. It will bring people from across the world to our doorstep. Tourists fly thousands of miles to stand in front of the Taj Mahal, wander the Red Fort, take selfies at India Gate, now they will see the hills of Sahyadri, the sunrise from Raigad’s ramparts, the sea winds through Sindhudurg and Suvarnadurg, the same places where our navy kept foreign invaders away. They will see the real face of India’s courage.
And this is not just about tourism or money. It is about teaching the world what Swarajya really meant. It was never about replacing one ruler with another. It was about giving people freedom to live with dignity. It was about protecting what you love without destroying what you don’t understand. It was about building a future that doesn’t rely on plundering but on fairness. These forts are not ruins. They are schools of pride that every Indian child should know.
For us Marathas, this recognition is a reminder that our story can never be erased. This is pride for Maharashtra and every Indian who believes freedom was earned through sweat, blood and sacrifice. I feel proud to be born in this Veer Maratha bloodline. Proud that the world will now walk the same stones my ancestors carved with their bare hands and defended with their lives. It is our duty to protect these forts, keep them clean, tell their stories, and never let the world forget what these stones stand for.
Sometimes people say forts are just old piles of rocks, but they are the temples of our courage. The world is looking at us now. The forts are ready to speak again. The Sahyadri winds still whisper the same chant, Har Har Mahadev. It is our time to stand tall, heads held high, and show the world what Maratha means.
Hey world! come to Maharashtra. Come, stand in the land of the Maratha Empire and see the unmatched beauty of the Western Ghats. Walk on this brave soil, made sacred by the blood of Marathas who gave everything for Swarajya. See what real loyalty means. Feel the dedication, trust, and passion that lived in every Maratha for their king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Even today, that same energy of the Great Maratha King can still be felt in every stone, every fort, every breath of this land. 🚩🚩🚩
✍️ Udaysinh Veer