Moidams
Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty comprises the remains of a royal necropolis.
The more than 90 burial mounds were built by the Tai-Ahom, who migrated to Charaideo in the 13th century from the Northeast. They used the natural, hilly topography to create a sacred landscape.
Community Perspective: Tamas has provided a full overview of the site's history and visiting situation from early 2024. Be aware that there are still two entrances as the site is split between two parties, as Els reported in November 2024., and that payment for the part managed by the ASI can be done online only. Furthermore, don't miss the other (uninscribed) Ahom monuments in nearby Sivsagar and Garhgaon, as they are much more impressive.
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Els Slots
The Moidams in Chairadeo, in the way they are presented at the moment, are a meagre testimony to the culture of Assam’s Ahom Dynasty. These rulers, originally coming from what is now Yunnan in China, left this region with monumental brick buildings of which many still stand. But “we” got a series of unexcavated tumuli that wouldn’t be out of place in Korea or Bahrain. Most of them are fairly small. On-site information is almost nonexistent: maybe 4 information panels with about 2 sentences written on each, and the tumuli are signposted as Maidam 32, Maidam 33, etc only. According to the AB evaluation, there should be elements of ancestor worship, sacred use of the surrounding landscape and small shrines on the top of the mounds. But most tumuli that I came across lacked those.
It is also weird that the management of the site (which is “just” one contiguous field of tumuli) is split between the ASI (national level) and the Assam Directorate of Archaeology. This means two entrances right next to each other, two entrance fees (250rs and 10rs) and a low stone wall to demarcate the two zones. At inscription, they promised that the wall “will soon be removed” and that they would work toward “joint management”. As of late November 2024, this clearly hasn’t happened yet.
At the ASI side, work is still ongoing to make the interior of one large tumulus accessible to the public. At the Assam State side, they have already done so with one smaller tumulus (lower photo) – but I have my doubts about how authentic this interpretation is.
On the drive back to my hotel in Jorhat, we visited various other Ahom monuments in the nearby towns of Garhgaon and Sivsagar. Only adding these stops made the overall trip worthwhile: I would especially recommend the Shiva temple and the Rang Ghar (a pavilion from which the Ahom royals watched games like buffalo fights) in Sivsagar.
Practical information:
By car, it takes about 2.5 hours from Jorhat to reach the site in Chairadeo. They are "currently" (I heard later that they've been working on it for 10 years already...) expanding the road from 2 to 4 lanes, so it might become faster when all the road works are finished. It can be reached by public transport as well, with a change in Sivsagar. In that case, it’s better to stay overnight in that city to also be able to reach some of its Ahom heritage. Also, be aware that tickets for the ASI side can only be bought online (by scanning a QR Code on the spot) – my payment with a VISA credit card never succeeded, so I had to rely on my driver’s phone and his Google Pay or Indian digital payment system to get in.
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Szucs Tamas
Assam - and the whole of north-east India - is not only now a fairly remote corner of the subcontinent, it always has been. None of the great Indian empires reached here - neither Asoka nor the great Mughals conquered this region. From the 13th century until the beginning of the British Raj in 1828, the Ahom dynasty ruled over large and small parts of the tea belt.Traditionally and culturally the Ahoms are member of the Great Tai (Tai-Yai) group of peoples. In the year 1215 CE, the Ahoms migrated from Mong-Mao or Mong-Mao-Lung (present Dehong Dai Jingpho autonomous prefecture of South-Western Yunan province of Peoples Republic of China). They entered into the Upper Assam region of the Brahmaputra valley through Patkai Hills under the leadership of Mao-Shang prince, named Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha. He became the first king or Chao-pha or Swargadeo (Lord of the heaven) of the Ahom Dynasty, who established the first Ahom capital at Cherai-doi or Charaideo. By the end of the 17th century, the Ahoms had expanded their kingdom over the length and breadth of the Brahmaputra valley in their long 600 years of power, Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha’s able and intelligent successors like Suhungmung (CE 1497-1539), Suklengmung (CE 1539-1552), Pratap Singha (1603-1641), Gadadhar Singha (CE 1681-1696), Rudra Singha (CE 1696-1714), Shiva Singha (CE1714-1744), Pramatta Singha (CE 1744- 1751), Rajeswar Singha (CE 1751-1769), built a strong state in the Brahmaputra valley by defending it from the Islamic rullers including the mighty Mughals and the provincial rullers, which provided this valley an era of peace and prosperity and helped the multiethnic Assamese culture to flourish.
Although the Ahom kings adopted the Hindu faith after a while, they did not always adapt to the Hindu Shoshkasop. For example, their dead were not scattered in rivers after burning, as most of the Hindus did.That is why their funerary practice of placing their dead in burial mounds with substantial grave goods after cremation is unique in India. The Moidams are the burial mounds of the Ahom kings, Queens and Nobles. The word Moidam is derived from the Tai word Phrang-Mai-Dam or Mai-Tam. Phrang-Mai means to put into the grave or to bury and Dam means the spirit of the Dead. Though Moidams are found in all the districts of upper Assam, Charaideo, the first capital of the Ahoms was the necropolis of almost all the Ahom Royals.
Chariadeo is about 20 km from the capital of the Ahoms, Sibsagar, and is not really the most spectacular part of the Ahom monuments. At least three palaces in the town - Kareng Ghar, Talatal Ghar and Ghar Rang - are well worth a visit, and the Hindu temples of the Ahom period are definitely of interest - especially the Siva temple in the centre of town.
Chairadeo is 16 km by car from Kareng Ghar - a good half an hour in Indian traffic conditions. The site itself is apparently ready for the inscription in summer in early January 2024. A brand new I lova Charaidao sign has already been erected at the entrance and the whole site has been extensively renovated. The entrance fee is, astonishingly, just Rs 5 for outsiders - though I have no doubt this will be raised soon. The only downside to the delay in January 2024 was that the entrance to the largest and most spectacular tomb was being renovated and therefore blocked off with a green scaffolding.
It is possible to walk around the mounds for several hours - though don't expect a really big or shocking sight. There is also a small - but well installed - archaeological museum on site.
What I find a bit surprising is why the Indian Heritage Authority only designates the tomb mounds as a World Heritage site - they are really only truly integrated with Sibsagar as a whole. The temples and palaces themselves are spectacular - and an excellent example of the integration of the various cultural influences on north-east India.
As for the practical part of the trip - Sivsagar can be combined with the Kazigranga National Park WhS (about 3 hours on a high quality road), and Majuli Island TWHS. Jorhat, where the ferries arrive from Majuli is just 1.5 hours from Sibsagar.
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