AHOM MOIDAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture)
Context: ICOMOS recommends adding Assam's Ahom Era Moidams to UNESCO's World Heritage List, citing their cultural significance and historical importance.
Ahom 'Moidam'
- About: The Ahom 'Moidam' are ancient burial grounds located in Assam's Charaideo district.
- Establishment: In the 13th century, Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha, founder of the Ahom kingdom, established his first capital at Che-rai-doi or Charaideo.
- Features of Moidams
o Exterior Structure: The Moidams have hemispherical exteriors, varying in size based on the buried person's status and power.
o Components of Moidams: Consist of a vaulted chamber with a centrally raised platform for the body, a hemispherical earthen mound with a brick structure (Chaw-chali), and an octagonal boundary wall with an arched gateway on the west.
o Burial Practices: Deceased individuals were interred with various objects used during their life, including royal insignia, wooden, ivory, or iron artifacts, and gold pendants.
o Construction Materials: The construction materials, as recorded in the Ahom canonical texts (Phukan), include wood, stone, and burnt bricks for building the Moidams.
International Council on Monuments and Sites
- About: It is a global non-governmental organization closely associated with UNESCO.
- Mission: Its primary mission is to promote the conservation, protection, use, and enhancement of monuments, building complexes, and sites worldwide.
- Advisory Role: As an Advisory Body of the World Heritage Committee, ICOMOS plays a crucial role in implementing the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
