Guwahati, Assam July 26: The Moidams in eastern Assam — a 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty — made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 26th July, Friday, becoming the first cultural site from the Northeast to make it to the list. This was announced at the 46th meeting of the World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO in New Delhi. Maidams became the 46th World Heritage site in India and third in Assam. Indian Chamber of Commerce along with RG Saharia Foundation congratulated the Government of Assam and stated that it is not only an achievement for the State but the country as a whole.
Moidams which have been the traditional burial grounds of the Ahom Kings and the Aristocracy in one of a kind in the entire world. Charaideo was the first capital and the most revered landscape of the Tai Ahoms. Unlike Hindus who cremate their dead, the predominant funerary method of the Ahoms, originating from the Tai people, was the burial. Given the uniqueness of the Moidams, the Government of Assam under the able leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma applied to UNESCO to consider it as a World Heritage Site. It was a very crucial turning point for the people of Assam that UNESCO found that Moidams fulfilled all the Technical criteria required to be a World Heritage site.
Assam Government Proposal made in an Professional manner was accepted by Govt. of India amongst proposals sent by different State Governments for Nomination to UNESCO as the ‘The Proposal’ for the Year from India in a specific Category. Here again, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi has selected this proposal from a no of other proposals to be sent to UNESCO. The government of Assam spent a considerable amount of financial and human resources in its endeavor. Appreciating the fact that Moidams has passed all the technical criteria of UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site, Mr. Mahesh Kumar Saharia, Chairman of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of RG Saharia Foundation, Grandson of Late Raibahdur Ramsewarlal Saharia of Dibrugarh earlier made a humble voluntary contribution as required by UNESCO of US $ 22000 to the Chief Minister’s Fund towards the evaluation of the proposal.
Mr Saharia is born and brought up in the lush green tea gardens of Assam and is a prominent industrialist, Philanthropist, Prolific writer, and avid photographer. It is the similarity of the Ahom burial rites with that of the ancient Egyptians that give Charaideo moidams the moniker of “Pyramids of Assam.” Believing that their Kings were Gods on earth, the Tai Ahoms chose to bury the
deceased Royals in Charaideo, the most sacred core of their Kingdom.
Charaideo was the first capital of the Ahoms, who ruled Assam for 600 years from 1228 till its annexation to the British through the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826. The continuity of this funerary for over 600 years has manifested in creating an undulating landscape, reminiscent of the mountains of heaven and reflected the Tai Ahom belief of life, death, spirit, and the ‘other world’. The Moidams of Charaideo remain the only area where the largest concentration of this vaulted-mound burial chamber exists together, demonstrating a grand royal burial landscape unique to
the Tai Ahoms. Moidams, often double storied entered through an arched passage.
Excavation shows that each vaulted chamber has a centrally raised platform where the body was laid. Several objects used by the deceased during his life, like royal insignia, objects made in wood or ivory or iron, gold pendants, ceramic ware, weapons, and clothes were buried with their king. It records the construction using bricks and stones cemented by the mixture of black pulse, molasses, eggs of duck, barely fish, and lime (from limestone and snail shell). While the Ahom clans moved from city to city, the landscape of Charaideo continued to retain its position as most sacred where the departed soul of the Royals could transcend into the afterlife.
Mr Saharia also stated the efforts of the Government of Assam in the Rapid development of the state, Ease of Living, Ease of Doing Business Infrastructure Development will certainly make the State of Assam, a very developed state very soon. Mr Mahesh Kumar Saharia, Chairman of the Indian Chamber of Commerce Complimented the people of Assam for the inscription of Moidam on the World Heritage List by UNESCO and expressed his gratitude to Hon’ble Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Dangoria & Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi ji whose special attention and blessings to North East is always respected.
