Royal burial mounds of Assam now on UNESCO World Heritage List

• The Charaideo Moidams, a unique 700-year old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty from Assam, was officially inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List on July 26 becoming the 43rd property from India to be included in the prestigious index.

Highlights:

• The announcement was made at the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee being held in New Delhi.
• “This historic recognition brings global attention to the unique 700-year-old mound burial system of the Ahom kings at Charaideo, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Assam and Bharat,” Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the media after the announcement.
• He said that India has successfully inscribed 13 World Heritage Properties over the last decade and is now at the 6th position globally for the most number of World Heritage Properties.
• Similar to the pyramids of Egypt, the Moidams are earthen burial mounds of the members of the Ahom royalty whose 600-year rule was ended by the British takeover of the region. They enshrine the mortal remains of Ahom rulers apart from their belongings.
• The Ahoms adopted the Hindu method of cremation after the 18th century and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo.
• The highly-venerated Moidams make the Charaideo district a tourist destination.
• The Moidam is the first from the North East to be recognised as a World Heritage Site in the cultural category. Assam has two other such sites in the natural category – Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park, both upgraded to tiger reserves.
• Charaideo Moidam embodies the deep spiritual belief, rich civilisational heritage, and architectural prowess of Assam’s Tai-Ahom community.
• The Moidams were nominated as India’s official entry in 2023.
• Out of the 386 Moidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative, and most complete examples of this tradition
• The ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, which India is hosting for the first time, is examining 27 nominations from around the world, including 19 cultural, four natural, two mixed sites, and two significant modifications to existing boundaries.

Prelims Takeaway:

• World Heritage Committee
• Ahom Dynasty