Assam: Moidams Of The Ahom Dynasty Gets UNESCO World Heritage Site Status
The Moidams of the Ahom Dynasty in Assam were officially declared India’s 43rd World Heritage Site during UNESCO’s 46th World Heritage Committee session in New Delhi.
The Moidams were nominated as India’s candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List for 2023-24. Interestingly, the Moidams are the first cultural property from Northeast India to receive this esteemed recognition from the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting educational, scientific, and cultural development.
Moidams of the Ahom Dynasty, an overview
Assam is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and historical significance. Among its many treasures, the Moidams stand out as monumental burial mounds that offer a glimpse into the past, particularly the era of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled Assam for nearly 600 years.
The Moidams are royal burial grounds of the Ahom kings, queens, and nobles, akin to the pyramids of Egypt or the mausoleums of China. The Ahom rulers were known for their administrative acumen, military prowess, and patronage of arts and culture. The Moidams are a testament to their architectural skills and the reverence with which they treated their deceased.
The Moidams make it to the #UNESCO World Heritage list under the category Cultural Property – a great win for Assam
The Moidams are typically constructed as hemispherical mounds, made primarily of earth and brick. They were built over an underground vault where the body of the deceased, often embalmed, was laid to rest along with various personal belongings, artifacts, and sometimes even servants and animals.
The construction of a Moidam was a meticulous process. The site was carefully chosen, often near sacred groves or water bodies. The structure’s size and complexity depended on the deceased’s status, with larger and more elaborate Moidams reserved for kings and high-ranking nobles.
Charaideo Moidams are the most famous and historically significant Moidams located in Charaideo, the original capital of the Ahom kingdom. These Moidams are considered the royal necropolis of the Ahom dynasty. The site contains around 150 burial mounds, though not all have been excavated. The Charaideo Moidams are particularly noted for their grandeur and the intricate craftsmanship of the brick structures.
Another significant site is in Jorhat, which served as a later capital of the Ahom kingdom. The Moidams here, though less grand than those in Charaideo, still offer valuable insights into the burial practices and architectural style of the period.