With the Maratha Military Landscape in Maharashtra earning UNESCO World Heritage Site status, Sir PM and Lady Flora discuss the development in their trademark investigative manner
Pratapgad Fort in Satara has earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Pic/Wikipedia
Sir PM was poring over a large, detailed map of Maharashtra, when Lady Flora approached him at their monsoon meeting spot, inside the Cathedral. He had a magnifying glass to look even closer at the plotted points; he was so caught up in the moment that he hadn’t noticed when his friend stood right beside him. She sneezed out aloud. “Blame it on the famed July downpour; Wales was so much better,” she sighed, looking radiant after her short Welsh holiday with cousin Beth. She was keen to know what her friend was up to, “What’s with this map-reading in such a studious manner?”
Her friend had waited two full weeks to play informer, “While you were away, we had some fabulous news for our home state to celebrate; we earned UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) status for the Maratha Military Landscape. These forts are Salher, Vijay Durg, Shivneri, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Lohgad and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.” He grinned. The last time, Lady Flora recalled such a wide smile was when he received a personal invitation to Buckingham Palace seven summers ago. “The timing couldn’t be any better. These forts are in dire need of preservation due to over tourism and encroachments, so I am hopeful that this is good news, if we are to look at the larger picture,” he continued, trying desperately to fold the map in the exact same squares that its original shape demanded.
Ever the investigator, Lady Flora, didn’t seem too thrilled. “All that’s fine, Pheroze, but this is no child’s play. Just a cleaning job and removing a few illegal stalls won’t help. I hope a blueprint is being planned by a committee of experts from the relevant fields,” she began. Sir PM quickly interrupted her, noticing the tone of her enquiry. “I’m told by my former bosses that there’s tremendous interest within the state; a long-term expert-driven committee is being put together; there’s a lot of enthusiasm to make the most of this prestigious recognition. My informers tell me that it has already acted as a catapult to make it a must-visit on the world tourist map,” he gloated.
Lady Flora looked a tad suspicious. “I hope it doesn’t lose steam, as we’ve seen in the past, after the initial hype. The upcoming civic elections and the results shouldn’t let the enthusiasm waver, irrespective of who is in power. Also remember that it’s not just one site but several, and that too spread over challenging, dangerous terrain. Imagine our ‘conscientious and fit’ babus trekking across this tricky topography to ensure that conservation work is on track and being followed with utmost sensitivity,” Lady Flora warned, “But the key is to get the right people who can organically and sensibly do justice to preserving and retaining the sanctity of the UNESCO WHS tag. And yes, we must respect the local community and gently include them in this initiative, as tourist guides, local history and geography experts, and learn from their sustainable approaches to keep the environment safe and protected. Funding should be well channelised,” she explained, as Sir PM applauded her genius and passion, despite being from another land.
“I see your point but we must keep faith in these decisions; we, on our part, will continue to play conscience-keepers. We owe it to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy,” he shared. “Pheroze, we must... but I feel there is a gap somewhere in the system. Awareness is key. Schools, across boards, must look inward when it comes to trips. Instead of heading to Disneyland and Dubai for their trips, they should start local – though this might be the unpopular road to take. Children from a young age should be made aware of this historic legacy right in their own backyard,” she exclaimed. “Nowadays, it’s aspirational to sign up for foreign trips, and skip exploring local treasures among schools; and colleges. It’s followed only if you’re a History or Archaeology Majors student,” she added.
Sir PM had managed to finally fold the map back to its correct notepad size, and looked relieved. “Yes, the foundation should start at a young age. Look at how tough it is to draw children even to museums, unless the family or school takes the initiative. I hope it’s a 360-degree effort. There are distractions everywhere, in this digital age. A cooperative approach from the many related institutions, the citizens and the education system can go a long way in ensuring that these forts remain in our collective memory. It’s a win-win for Maharashtra,” he signed off, ready with his notes on the way forward, which he was to present to his former bosses.
mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her.
She tweets @bombayana. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
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