AHOM MOIDAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art & Culture)

Context: Royal burial mounds of the Ahom dynasty from Assam make it to UNESCO World  Heritage list.

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.
• Features of Moidams

oExterior Structure: The Moidams have hemispherical exteriors, varying in size based on the buried person's status and power.

oComponents 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.

oBurial Practices: Deceased individuals were interred with various objects used during their life, including royal insignia, wooden, ivory, or iron artifacts, and gold pendants.

oConstruction Materials: The construction materials, as recorded in the Ahom canonical texts, include wood, stone, and burnt bricks for Moidams