Replicas, Competitions, and Awareness: Pune Gears Up for UNESCO Fort Nominations

Pune, 7th September 2024: Central and state governments have proposed 12 forts across the country for nomination as World Heritage Sites under the ‘Maratha’ Military Landscapes’. Accordingly, the UNESCO committee will visit the forts of Pune district from September 27 to 30.

For the promotion, dissemination, and public awareness of the said nomination, Dr Suhas Diwase, District Collector has ordered to organize competitions in the city and district for making replicas of forts, architectural documentation, etc. Also, in Pimpri-Chinchwad, digital boards giving information about forts will be installed in front of the public Ganesha mandals during the Ganeshotsav.

The central government has nominated the 12 forts that were used as military bases during the Maratha rule to fight the enemy for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list for 2024-25. These include Shivneri, Lohagad, Raigad, Suvarnadurga, Panhala, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, Salher, Rajgad, Khandheri, Pratapgad and Gingee in Tamil Nadu. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are nominated in two categories: cultural and natural. The forts of Maharashtra have been included in the cultural category.

The UNESCO committee is going to visit the forts of Pune district from September 27 to 30. Before that, competitions will be organized to make replicas of forts during Ganeshotsav on taluka, a district-level school competition for the promotion, dissemination, and public awareness of the nomination.

Dr Diwase informed that a prize of Rs one lakh will be given to the first place, Rs 50,000 to the second place, and Rs 25,000 to the third place. There is a limit of submission of one fort-castle replica per village and school. Out of the villages participating in the best manner, five villages will be provided funds of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme of public facilities, and civic facilities. Three winners selected at the taluka level will qualify for district-level competition. He further informed that in this, there will be a prize of Rs five lakh for the first place, Rs 2.5 lakh for the second place, and a prize of Rs 1.25 lakh for the third place.

An architectural documentation competition has also been organized with the participation of city and district colleges, historical research institutes, architectural institutes, and trekkers for the promotion and dissemination of nominations.