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Moidam

Moidam

heritage site · Assam

Burial, not cremation, was the Ahom rite, and after the kings adopted Hinduism they went on burying the ashes under mounds.

State
Assam
Type
Heritage Site

Burial, not cremation, was the Ahom rite, and after the kings adopted Hinduism they went on burying the ashes under mounds. Each one is a vaulted chamber beneath a domed roof, covered by a hemispherical earthen mound with a small open pavilion, the chow chali, at its peak and an octagonal wall around the base. The royal moidams at Charaideo hold a UNESCO World Heritage listing. They read as grassy mounds in a field until you know what is under them, so read first or take someone who can explain. Excavation is a live grievance for the Ahom community; these are ancestral graves, not ruins.

Moidam is known for

Ahom burial moundsUNESCO listingChow chali pavilion

Moidam guide & itineraries

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Kamakhya Temple

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Majuli

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Sivasagar

Sivasagar, once the capital of the mighty Ahom kingdom that ruled Assam for six centuries, is a town rich in monuments around its great tank. Its highlights include the Rang Ghar, often called Asia's oldest surviving amphitheatre, the Talatal and Kareng Ghar palaces, and the towering Sivadol temple.

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