Assam’s Burial Mounds Now A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Photo: Wikipedia

GUWAHATI, (IANS) – The ‘Charaideo Maidam’, a 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in eastern Assam, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list under the ‘cultural property’ category.

The burial mounds made pyramid-like structures known as ‘Maidams’, which were used by the erstwhile Tai-Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for around 600 years from 1228.

The Charaideo Maidams enshrine the mortal remains of the Ahom royalty. Previously, the deceased were buried with their paraphernalia, but after the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation, later entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.

The Maidams of Charaideo embody the deep spiritual belief, rich civilizational heritage, and architectural prowess of Assam’s Tai-Ahom community.

It is the first time a site from the northeast has made it to the UNESCO World Heritage list under the cultural category, and after Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, it is Assam’s third World Heritage Site.

Out of 386 Maidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative, and most complete examples of this tradition.