‘Moidams’ of Assam included in the UNESCO World Heritage List

The mound burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam Moidams was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the category Cultural Property on Friday. The decision was taken during the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC), held in the national capital, Delhi.

UNESCO will examine the proposals of 27 sites for inscription on the World Heritage List, the state of conservation of 124 sites already inscribed on the World Heritage List, and the List of World Heritage in Danger. The World Heritage Committee is one of the two bodies governing the Convention for the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage. It is composed of the representatives of 21 states, elected from the 195 states parties to the Convention.

In the ongoing session, from July 23 to July 25, the Committee will examine the state of conservation of the 124 sites already inscribed on the World Heritage List, 57 of which are also on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Similarly, from July 26 to July 29, the Committee will examine the dossiers of 27 sites proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List. The sites will be examined according to three categories. The three categories are natural, mixed, and cultural.

Reacting to the news Assam Chief Minister Himmant Biswa Sharma said, “The Moidams make it to the UNESCO World Heritage list under the category Cultural Property. A great win for Assam Thank You Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the people of Assam.”

“The Moidams of Charaideo embody the deep spiritual belief, rich civilisational heritage and architectural prowess of Assam’s Tai-Ahom community. Apart from the fact this announcement has been made from the soil of Bharat, its entry also stands out for 2 more reasons,” he added in a post on X.

“It is the first time a site from the North East has made it to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the Cultural Category. After Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, it is Assam’s 3rd World Heritage Site. I urge all of you to come and experience Awesome Assam,” he further said.

The Moidams are the burial mounds of the Ahom kings, Queens and Nobles. The word Moidam is derived from the Tai word Phrang-Mai-Dam or Mai-Tam. Phrang-Mai means to put into the grave or to bury and Dam means the spirit of the dead.

Though Moidams are found in all the districts of upper Assam, Charaideo, the first capital of the Ahoms was the necropolis of almost all the Ahom Royals. Charaideo is situated 28 km east of Sivasagar. The first king of the Ahoms Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha was buried at Charaideo after his death observing all the Tai-Ahom religious rites and rituals.