An age old mound-burial system n eastern Assam, known as the Charaideo Maidam has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 700-year-old system has been included in the list under the "cultural property" category.
It was decided that the mound-burial system will be included in the list at the time of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi.
The mound-burial system and the nomination
India nominated the Charaideo Maidam for UNESCO's World Heritage Site status for the year 2023-2024, in the cultural category. The burial mounds actually made "maidams" pyramid-like structures).. These structures were used for from the year 1228 for about 600 years by the Tai-Ahom dynasty.
The maidams house the mortal remains of the Ahom royalty. Before the 18th century, the ones who died were buried with their paraphernalia. However, later the Hindu method of cremation was adopted by the Ahom rulers.
The site was chosen by the Government of India out of a total of 52 sites. It was the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who made the announcement in Delhi, and just after the announcement, huge celebrations kickstarted in various parts of Assam.
It was on July 21 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that theCharaideoMaidam would be the 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site of India. Additionally, theCharaideoMaidam is also the first ever such site for the northeastern region in the category of cultural property.
“This is huge. The Maidams make it to the UNESCO World Heritage list under the Cultural Property category — a great win for Assam. Thank You Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, Members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, and to the people of Assam.” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam in a post on social media platform X.
Here's what he further said in a post on X.
The UNESCO recognition for Charaideo Moidam could only be possible due to the untiring efforts of our officials who worked behind the scenes to ensure all compliances are met. I commend this dedicated work culture.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 28, 2024
📍Appointment Letter Distribution Ceremony, Guwahati pic.twitter.com/YmT8X4PfCJ
What makes this entry a special one?
Well, first things first, it is the first time an entry from the northeast has been added in the UNESCO World Heritage list under the category of cultural property.
Also, another aspect worth noting is that this one stands as Assam's third World Heritage Site. The first two sites from Assam are the Kaziranga and Manas National Parks.
Chief Minister Sarma wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16 last year, in which he said, “Out of 386 Maidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative, and most complete examples of this tradition.”
“The Maidams are highly venerated. When the nation celebrated the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, you kindly spared some moments and viewed the exhibition set up in Vigyan Bhawan, which included a model of Maidam that showcased the unique burial architecture and tradition of the Tai Ahoms,” expressed the Chief Minister in the letter.
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