UNESCO recently included 12 forts – 11 from Maharashtra and 1 from Tamil Nadu – in the list of World Heritage Sites. These are the very forts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had so dearly protected, and today they once again shine on the global stage. Heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and culture minister Ashish Shelar for this proud moment! But it’s not as though these forts gained global importance only because of this inclusion.

Even in Maharaj’s time, the world admired them for their unique fortification and engineering. The capital Raigad was called ‘Gibraltar of the East’ by the British. And there was yet another fort – which became famous in the 18th century due to a naval........

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