The historic ‘moidams’ of Assam has been nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement during the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi.
- The Prime Minister said that this is India’s 43rd World Heritage Site and the first in Northeast India to receive Cultural World Heritage status.
Choraideo moidams
- The Choraideo moidams, ancient burial mounds of the Ahom Dynasty, are celebrated for their unique cultural and historical value.
- Moidams are vaulted chamber (chow-chali), often double storied entered through an arched passage. Atop the hemispherical mud-mound layers of bricks and earth is laid, where the base of the mound is reinforced by a polygonal toe-wall and an arched gateway on the west.
- Choraideo at foothills of Patkai range was the first capital and the most revered landscape of the Tai Ahoms. Believing that their Kings were Gods on earth, the Tai Ahoms chose to bury the deceased Royals in Choraideo, the most sacred core of their Kingdom.
- The nomination has received strong backing from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which has endorsed the Moidams, further elevating their status on the global stage.
- ICOMOS is a prestigious body dedicated to the conservation and protection of cultural heritage sites worldwide.
