The Post is for A to Z April 2015 Challenge, I took up a topic : 'M' for 'Maidam'
Historians say that the Egyptian pyramids
are their only competitors. Series of stories from localites about the richness of the place....still finding gold or silver jewels, coins under the ground, inside the ponds, wells...
Yes, I am talking about ‘Maidam’, probably very few of you have heard about it. May be none of you also.
Yes, I am talking about ‘Maidam’, probably very few of you have heard about it. May be none of you also.
Why it’s in the ‘Don’t Know’ list….though it has
incomparable beauty and grandeur of its own?
Till last few years, these sacred burial ground of the kings of Ahom kingdom laid depressing, desolated, and abandoned. But
now, with the zeal of some energetic local folks, it has received proper
attention and developed to be an extremely stunning place and got a World
Heritage Site tag from UNESCO too.
Externally Maidam appears like a hemispherical mound. But,
architecturally, this is a two or three bed rooms set. It comprises of a huge underground burial chamber with one or
more compartments having domical superstructure and covered by a heap of
earthen mound. At the top of the mound there is a small open
pavilion called 'chow-chali'. An octagonal dwarf wall encloses
whole maidam. The historical chronicles say that wives, attendants, the
dancers, cook, pet animals and huge quantity of valuables like jewels, gold and silver coins were buried with the
departed kings.
The structural construction and the process of
royal burials are explained in historical documents called Chang-Rung
Phukanor Buranji, with the details, even with the mention of the
articles that were buried. Later excavations under the Archeological Survey of
India found some of the maidams previously defiled, with the articles
mentioned in the Buranji missing.
Many of the maidams were excavated and looted, mostly under the Mughal general Mir Jumla who had occupied Garhgaon briefly in the 17th century; and under the British after 1826.
Many of the maidams were excavated and looted, mostly under the Mughal general Mir Jumla who had occupied Garhgaon briefly in the 17th century; and under the British after 1826.
Situated 28 km east of Sivasagar district of
Assam, situated in the northeast of India, Charaideo was the first capital of
the Ahoms founded by Sukapha who migrated from Mong-Mao or Mong Mao Ling, a
south-west province of China. The king Sukapha was first laid to rest at
Charaideo, after his death. Since then, it became the sacred burial ground of
the kings and queens of the Ahom kingdom.
Enormously beautiful green landscape, park in
front of all the major maidams, Ahom kings' Palace, royal architectures are the special attraction of this place. Go to
the top of the maidams, have an eye-soothing sight of the green surroundings.
Timings of visit: sunrise to sunset
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