Assam’s 600-yr-old Moidams Included In World Heritage List

This is the third property inscribed on the world heritage list from Assam but the first cultural site on the prestigious list from the northeastern region. Prior to this, Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park, are listed under the natural category. The Moidam was among 28 sites proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The site, set in the foothills of the Patkai Ranges in Assam, contains the royal necropolis of the Tai-Ahom. Ninety moidams — hollow vaults built of brick, stone or earth — of different sizes are found within the property. As per a statement on the UNESCO website, for 600 years, the Tai-Ahom created these Moidams accentuating the natural topography of hills, forests, and water, thus forming a sacred geography.

It is significant that so far, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed 1,199 sites in 168 countries on the list. India has now 45 of its sites on the list.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the initiative to ensure that the 600-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty - 'Moidams' - is included in the Unesco World Heritage List.

Mr Sarma also thanked Union Culture Minister Gajendra Shekhawat who called to give him the news while the chief minister was addressing a press conference here.

“It is great news for Assam as the Charaideo Moidam is now officially a UNESCO Heritage site... Assam will always remain indebted to the Centre for this honour. This inclusion is a great honour for the country and not for Assam alone,” Mr. Sarma told reporters.

Earlier, ICOMOS recommended that Moidams — the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty, India, be inscribed on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (iv).

Based on the recommendation of ICOMOS, the first-time applicant Moidams was formally inscribed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These were first included in the Tentative List in April 2014.

France-based ICOMOS, also an advisory body to UNESCO for cultural heritage, is an international non-governmental organization that is composed of professionals, experts, representatives from local authorities, companies, and heritage organizations, and is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the architectural and landscape heritage throughout the world.

Inclusion of Moidams in the World Heritage List was sought by the Indian government on the basis of Cultural Criteria (iii), (iv), and (v). The nominated property has an area of 95.02 hectares and a buffer zone of 754.511 hectares.

Criterion (iii) bears a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization that is living or which has disappeared and criterion (iv) is for an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history.

The site is jointly managed by two separate entities —the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Assam Government's Directorate of Archaeology (DoA).