Charaideo Moidam included in UNESCO World Heritage List

Assam’s Charaideo Moidams– the Mound-Burial System of Ahom dynasty have been added to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites list. It is India’s 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

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Key Highlights    

• It is  a 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty situated in the Charaideo district of Assam.     
• For the first time, India hosted the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting, organised at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.    
• Moidams, the first cultural heritage site from the North East to be inscribed on the World Heritage list.  
• Other World Heritage Property from Assam: Kaziranga National Park and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, both inscribed under the Natural category in 1985.  
• India is now standing at the 6th position globally for the most number of World Heritage Properties.

 

About Charaideo Moidams

• Moidams, a royal mound burial site created by the Tai-Ahom in northeastern India, is situated in the foothills of the Patkai Ranges in eastern Assam.
• The Charaideo moidams represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam. 
• Charaideo was the first capital of the Ahom dynastyfounded by Chao Lung Sukaphaa in 1253. 
• The Ahoms preferred to place the deceased family members at Charaideo where the first king Sukapha was laid to rest.
• After 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.