Charaideo Moidam in Assam declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Charaideo Moidam in Assam, the royal burial ground of the Ahom dynasty, has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This gives international recognition to this area of ​​national importance located about 30 km from Sivasagar in eastern Assam.

What are Moidams?

Moidam mounds are earthen mounds built over the graves of Ahom kings. The Moidams of the Ahom royal family are at Charaideo, but you can find other buildings like them all over eastern Assam. Each moidam usually consists of a vault with rooms inside, a semicircular mound on top, and a tower called chau chali surrounded by an eight-sided wall. The Ahoms, who were related to the Tai people, preferred burial rather than burning, which differs from Hindu customs. Their unique burial rituals, which were based on ancient Egyptian practices, meant that these Moidams often contained more than just the dead. They also kept goods for the afterlife, servants, animals and even wives.

Importance of the grass god

Charaideo, whose name Tai comes from the Ahom words meaning “shining city on the hill”, was the first capital of the Ahom kingdom, founded by King Sukaphaa in 1253 AD. It remained an important centre of power and remains today a place of great historical and cultural value.

Tourism and Conservation

Even today the Moidams are popular with tourists, but many of them are in poor condition. The Archaeological Survey of India protects only 30 of the more than 150 Moidams. People know that Charaideo Moidams are important in general, especially because they differ from other similar tombs in terms of size and the number of people buried there. The culture of Assam will always be associated with the Ahom Empire, which ruled for a long period from 1228 to 1826 AD. People praise it for how well it runs its government and how strong its army is, especially when fighting off foreign attacks. Honouring people like Lachit Borphukan shows how important they are in modern Indian culture, especially when nationalism is on the rise.

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