Guwahati, 2nd March: India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Vishal Sharma, embarked on a visit to the culturally significant site of Charaideo Moidams in Assam, which India has nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List. The visit, held on Friday, saw Sharma expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for their dedicated efforts in promoting Assamese culture.
Charaideo Moidams, a collection of mounds reflecting the Tai Ahom community’s late medieval burial tradition in Assam, stands out as a captivating tourist destination. Drawing comparisons to the Egyptian pyramids, these mounds showcase the remarkable architectural prowess and craftsmanship of Assam’s artisans from the medieval era.
Sharma disclosed that India has formally nominated the site, expressing optimism about its potential inclusion in the esteemed World Heritage List. He commended the Assam government, the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India, and the Assam Archaeology Department for their unwavering efforts in preserving this culturally significant site.
“I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for their efforts in promoting Assamese culture and world heritage. The government of India has nominated this site for inclusion on the World Heritage List, and I hope it receives inscription,” remarked Sharma.
Highlighting the historical and cultural significance of Moidams, Sharma reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s vision of “Vikash Bhi Virasat Bhi,” which seeks to connect India’s past with its future. The ambassador shared his visit to the Moidams on social media, acknowledging the mound burial system of the Ahom dynasty.
Last year, Chief Minister Sarma had written to Prime Minister Modi, informing him of the submission of the World Heritage Nomination Dossier of Moidams to UNESCO for evaluation in the 2023 cycle. Sarma underscored the cultural significance of Moidams, representing a 600-year-old mound-burial tradition of the Tai Ahoms in Assam. Out of the 386 Moidams explored, the 90 royal burials at Charaideo are considered the best-preserved and most representative examples of this tradition.
Sarma’s letter sought the support of the Indian government in forwarding the nomination dossier to the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, emphasizing the absence of a World Heritage Site in the category of cultural heritage in North East India. The collaborative effort with the Archaeological Survey of India further strengthened the nomination process.
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