700-year old Moidams of Assam’s Ahom Dynasty Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

The 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam ‘Moidams’ has been included in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List, becoming the first cultural site from the Northeast India to make it to the coveted list.

The decision to include Moidams in the list was taken during the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in Delhi.

Till date, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed 1,199 sites in 168 countries on the list. India has 43 of its sites on the list.

Moidams are a burial system, pyramid-like in shape, with hollow vaults that contain the remains of Ahom kings and royals. The Ahom dynasty ruled Assam from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

The greatest king of the Ahom dynasty was Sukhrungpha or Sworgodeu Rudra Singha (c.1696-1714 AD). Except for those of Rudra Singha and his father Gadhadhar Singha, most moidams remain unidentified.

“The gavel is struck! Moidams - Ahom dynasty's unique Mound-Burial system in Assam has become the 43rd site from India to be inscribed on @UNESCO's World Heritage List. Nearly 700 yrs old, Moidams are hollow vaults of brick, stone or earth & contain the remains of kings & royals,” announced United Nations in India.

 

 

Khirachora Gopinath temple, Remuna, Odisha

Khirachora Gopinath Temple, Remuna, Balasore, Odisha / Image Credit

Remuna is 9km from Balasore in Odisha and an important Vaishnava centre. The place has been a seat of Vaishnavite culture for centuries. The place’s claim to fame is the famous shrine of Khirachora Gopinath temple that draws devotees in a large number.

Remuna was visited by the greatest Vaishnavite saint of Bengal, Chaitanya, on his way to Jagannatha Puri.