Why in news? The Centre has decided to nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams ,the Ahom equivalent of the ancient Egyptian pyramids for the UNESCO World Heritage Site status this year.

Highlights:

• Currently, there is no World Heritage Site in the category of cultural heritage in the northeast.
• Maidams, representing the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam seeking the World Heritage Site tag.
• The nomination of the Charaideo Maidams has attained significance at a time during the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan.
• Lachit Barphukan was a legendary Ahom general who fought the Mughals in 1671.

About Charaideo Maidams

• Royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, making them showpieces of mound burial tradition of the Ahoms.
• The Charaideo Maidams enshrine the mortal remains of the members of the Ahom royalty, who used to be buried with their paraphernalia.
• The Ahom rule lasted for about 600 years until the British annexed Assam in 1826.
• After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo
• The Ahom rule lasted for about 600 years until the British annexed Assam in 1826.

About Charaideo

• It was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty founded by Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1253 and remained symbol of Ahom power.