Assam CM: Centre Decides To Request UNESCO For Designation Of Charaideo Maidam As World Heritage Site

GUWAHATI: According to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, the centre has chosen to nominate Charaideo Maidam of the Ahom kingdom as a World Heritage site and will submit an application to UNESCO in that regard on January 21. According to the Chief Minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Assam's Charaideo Maidam out of 52 potential locations across the nation.

The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, earlier on January 16 informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter that the Government of Assam had submitted the World Heritage Nomination Dossier of the cultural heritage site of Moidams-the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty in Charaideo (Assam) to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for further submission to UNESCO for their evaluation in the current year cycle.

"The term Moidams (or Maidams) refers to the Tai Ahoms' over 600-year-long mound-burial custom from the late mediaeval period (the 13th to the 19th century CE). 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best-preserved, most representative, and comprehensive examples of this custom out of the 386 Moidams that have so far been excavated "The letter claimed that.

The Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu practise of cremation after the 18th century, and later entombed the cremated bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo. Previously, the mortal remains of the deceased along with their paraphernalia were buried. The Moidams are held in high esteem.

The letter continued, "When the country commemorated the 400th anniversary of Lachit Borphukan's birth, you kindly spared some time and viewed the exhibition set up in the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, which included a model of Moidam that showcased distinctive Tai Ahom burial architecture and tradition.

"There isn't now any cultural heritage World Heritage Site in North East India. Technical cooperation with the ASI was used to compile this significant document. I kindly ask that the Government of India assist us in this effort by sending the aforementioned nomination dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Center "The letter stated.

The draught dossier for the Charaideo Maidams' inclusion on the World Heritage list had already been sent to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on October 10, 2022, by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India. The request to add the Charaideo Maidams, located in the Charaideo district close to Sonari town, to the World Heritage list will likely be brought up for discussion at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's upcoming meeting.

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