Guwahati, July 26: The Charaideo Moidams or Maidams of Assam are all set for a historic day as the Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty is put to vote to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier announced at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, being held from July 21, that Charaideo Moidam would be India’s 43rd UNESCO world heritage site and first one in Assam and northeast in cultural heritage category. The PM emphasized that the unique cultural significance of the Moidams would attract greater global interest. The nomination of the Moidams, particularly those of the Ahom Dynasty, has been endorsed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
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Assam already has two other world heritage sites in natural heritage category – one is Kaziranga National Park and the other is Manas National Park.
Charaideo Moidam has been nominated in the cultural category.
Charaideo Moidam are very unique and significant in the history of Assam and the Ahom kings. These are ancient burial mounds of the Ahom kings and nobles, built during the Ahom Kingdom’s reign from the 13th to the 18th century.
The Moidams, that resemble large hillocks covered with grass, are revered as sacred sites of the Ahom community. Structurally, a Moidam consists of vaults with one or more chambers. The vaults have a domical superstructure that is covered by a hemispherical earthen mound that rises high above the ground with an open pavilion at the peak called chow chali. An octagonal dwarf wall encloses the entire Moidam.
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Each Moidam in Charaideo, which is in Upper Assam, represents the final resting place of an Ahom ruler or Ahom royal dignitary and is believed to contain their remains along with valuable artefacts and treasures.
Home to more than 90 burial mounds of the Ahom royals, the ‘Moidams’ are often dubbed as the “Pyramids of Assam.”
Charaideo was made a district in 2015, by carving it out from the Sivasagar district. It also has cultural significance as it was the first permanent capital of the Ahom kingdom established by the first Ahom king Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha.
The word Charaideo has been derived from three Tai Ahom words, Che-Rai-Doi. Che means City or Town, Rai means Shine or Dazzle and Doi means Hill or Mountain; in short, Charaideo means, “a shining town situated on a hill top.”
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