What is Charaideo Maidam?

=> Charaideo commonly known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’ was the original capital of the Ahom Kings.

=> Charaideo remained the symbolic center of Ahom Kingdom even though the capital of the kingdom moved many times.

=> It was built by Chaolung Sukhapa the founder of the dynasty in about 1229 CE.

=> Location: Located at the foothills of Nagaland, it’s situated at a distance of around 30 KM from the historical Sivsagar town in Assam.

Why is Charaideo known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’?

=> It contains sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens.

=> Some 42 tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens are present at Charaideo hillocks.

Architecture:

=> It comprises a massive underground vault with one or more chambers having domical superstructure.

=> It appears a hemispherical mound.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization:

=> A specialised agency of the United Nations (UN).

=> Headquartered-World Heritage Centre in Paris.

=> Founded in 1945.

=> Aim-To promote world peace and security through international cooperation.

=> Five key program areas - Education; Natural sciences; Social or human sciences; Culture; Communication/information.

=> One of the main role of UNESCO is establishment and protection of World Heritages.

Recent developments:

=> Central Government has decided to send a proposal to UNESCO nominating Charaideo Maidam of Ahom Kingdom as a World Heritage Site.

=> The State Government of Assam is working on a foolproof dossier for the Charaideo Maidams (Tombs of Ahom Royals) to enable those to qualify for the coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

=> A UNESCO team is scheduled to visit the site in October.