UNESCO

1. Assam’s Ahom dynasty ‘Moidams’ added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
2. First cultural property from Northeast India to receive this recognition.
3. Inclusion announced during the 46th World Heritage Committee session.


Guwahati, July 26: The mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam, known as ‘Moidams,’ was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List on Friday. This marks the first cultural property from the Northeast to receive this prestigious recognition.

The decision was made during the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in India.

Assam’s nomination of ‘Moidams’ for the 2023-24 UNESCO World Heritage List was confirmed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on X (formerly Twitter).

He wrote, “The Moidams make it to the #UNESCO World Heritage list under the category Cultural Property. This is a great win for Assam. Thank you, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, Members of the @UNESCO World Heritage Committee, and the people of Assam.”

Previously, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) had recommended the inclusion of Assam’s ‘Moidams’ on the UNESCO World Heritage List.


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Janhwij Sharma of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) confirmed that the ‘Moidams’ met the necessary criteria for the UNESCO heritage tag.

The ‘Moidams’ are unique burial mounds used by the Tai-Ahom dynasty, characterized by pyramid-like structures.

These vaulted chambers, often double-storied with an arched passage for entry, feature hemispherical mud mounds topped with layers of bricks and earth.

The base of the mounds is reinforced by a polygonal toe-wall and an arched gateway on the west, as described on the UNESCO website.