Charaideo

Charaideo or Che-Rai-Doi (Literally: the shining city on the hills in Ahom language ) is a historic town situated in Charaideo district, Assam, India. Charaideo was established by the first Ahom king Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in the year 1253 CE as the first capital of the Ahom kingdom. Even though the capital was shifted to different cities over the course of 600 years of Ahom rule, Charaideo remained the symbolic centre of Ahom power in Assam. It is now famous for its vast collection of maidams (tumuli) which are the burial mounds of the ruling Ahom kings and members of the Ahom royalty.

It is located about 30 km from Sivasagar town in Charaideo district.

Etymology
Charaideo (also Ahom: Che-Rai-Doi; Charai-khorong), was the permanent settlement of the first Ahom king Chaolung Sukaphaa. It was earlier referred to as Che-Tam-Doi-Phi (literally City-Hill-God) meaning "city of the sacred hill". The name Charaideo originated from Tai-Ahom word Che Rai Doi or Doi Che Rai which means the shining city on the hills. The word Che-Rai-Doi became Charaideo or Charai-khorong in Assamese. According to the Tai-Bailung-Mohong Buranji (a manuscript in Tai), King Sukaphaa was buried in his capital city Che-Rai-Doi.

History
Before the arrival of Sukaphaa the place was a place of worship for local tribes like Moran, Borahi. Though the capital of the Ahom kingdom moved many times, Charaideo remained the symbolic center. It contains sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens and is also the place of ancestral Gods of the Ahoms. The Ahom kings and Queens were buried after extensive and long royal burial rituals. The tombs (Maidam) of Ahom kings and queens at Charaideo hillocks resemble the shape of the pyramids and are objects of wonder revealing the excellent architecture and skill of the sculptors and masons of Assam of the medieval days.

The actual number of Maidam were more than 150 but only 30 Maidams are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and Assam State Archaeology Department, and the remaining Maidams are unprotected. Most of these unprotected Maidams are encroached by people and getting damaged. The biggest unprotected Maidam is the Bali Maidam near Nimonagarh. This Maidam is called Bali Maidam, because while British plundered it, they got obstruction from excess sand (bali) in the surrounding of the Maidam.

Nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Site
Charaideo Maidams are the Ahom equivalent of the Egyptian Pyramids. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen the Maidams from 52 sites across India for the UNESCO nomination. The maidams represent 13-19 century CE- late medieval mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam. The Ahom dynasty lasted for around 600 years till British annexed Assam in 1826.