CM stated that out of 52 potential sites across the country, PM Narendra Modi has chosen Assam's Charaideo Maidam...
Digital Desk: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on January 21 that the Centre has agreed to submit a request to UNESCO to accept Charaideo Maidam of the Ahom dynasty as a World Heritage site.
The Chief Minister stated that out of 52 potential sites across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen Assam's Charaideo Maidam.
On January 16, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma 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 onward submission to UNESCO for their evaluation in the current year cycle of 2023.
"Moidams (or Maidams) reflect the Tai Ahoms' late mediaeval (13th-19th century CE) mound-burial tradition in Assam, which lasted about 600 years. 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative, and full examples of this custom out of 386 Moidams discovered so far ", according to the text.
Previously, the lifeless remains of the Ahom monarchy were buried with their regalia, but after the 18th century, the Ahom monarchs embraced the Hindu rite of cremation, eventually entombing the burned bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo. The Moidams are held in great regard.
"When the nation celebrated Lachit Borphukan's 400th birth anniversary, you graciously spared some time and attended the exhibition set up in the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, which contained a replica of Moidam that displayed distinctive burial architecture and Tai Ahoms culture," the letter read.
"North East India presently has no World Heritage Sites in the category of cultural heritage. This crucial document was created in technical collaboration with the ASI. I would like to propose that the Government of India support our efforts by submitting the aforementioned nomination dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre "The letter further stated.
Previously, on October 10, 2022, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, forwarded the draught dossier for inclusion of the Charaideo Maidams in the World Heritage list to UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The proposal for the inclusion of the Charaideo Maidams - near Sonari town in the Charaideo area - in the World Heritage list will most likely be considered at the next meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
The former Assam government made a policy decision to investigate the feasibility of including the Charaideo Maidams of the Ahom era on the World Heritage list.
The administration established a committee to prepare a dossier in this regard. Dr. KC Nauriyal, a cultural expert, served on the committee, as did Dr. Deepirekha Kouli, Director of Archaeology; Dr. Nabajit Deori, Deputy Director; Dr. Chabina Hassan, Technical Officer; Ajit Kumar Bora, State Archaeological Engineer; Simran Sambhi, Exploration Officer; and Kangkonjyoti Saikia, Senior Conservation Officer are the listed member
The committee created a preliminary report, which was delivered to the Government of India's Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of Culture reviewed the draught dossier and was satisfied with the reasoning provided for the Charaideo Maidams' placement on the World Heritage list.
The final report, which ran to more than 100 pages, was subsequently forwarded to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris by the Ministry of Culture. The completed dossier would be sent to UNESCO headquarters by the Government of Assam via the Ministry of Culture in the following stage.
The Assam government is eager to promote the Charaideo Maidams of the Ahom era and has already set aside Rs 25 crore for preservation, conservation, and the compilation of a dossier for the World Heritage site nomination.
In 1253, the first Ahom monarch, Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha, founded Charaideo as the kingdom's first permanent capital. Even though the capital relocated several times during the 600 years of Ahom's reign, Charaideo remained the symbol of Ahom's strength. The royal maidams are only found in Charaideo, whereas the other maidams are distributed throughout the region between Jorhat and Dibrugarh.
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