GUWAHATI: Delegates and scholars from Thailand, Sri Lanka, and various parts of the country convened in Sonapur, Kamrup, on Saturday for an international seminar on archaeological pursuits in burial traditions of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The seminar, aimed at fostering deliberations among scholars worldwide, seeks to deepen understanding of diverse burial traditions and their correlation with maidams – the burial mounds of Ahom royalty found exclusively in Assam’s Charaideo district.
Organised by the Assam Directorate of Archaeology under the state Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Culture Department, Commissioner and Secretary Ranjan Sharma delivered the welcome address at the inaugural ceremony.
The event was graced by the presence of the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), YS Rawat.
Eminent historian Prof JN Phukan delivered the keynote address during the academic session, setting the tone for insightful discussions.
Tomorrow, the delegation is scheduled to visit the Madan Kamdev archaeological site in Kamrup district’s Baihata Chariali, further enriching their understanding of the region’s historical and cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, the Charaideo maidams, often referred to as the Pyramids of Assam, are on the verge of attaining UNESCO World Heritage status.
These centuries-old royal burial sites of the Ahom dynasty have been under consideration since 2023, when they were nominated among 52 other sites in India for UNESCO Heritage status.
In March of the same year, the maidams, housing over 90 royal burial mounds, met all technical requirements set by the UNESCO Secretariat.
Progress towards UNESCO recognition continued in October 2023, with UNESCO International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) expert Lim Chen Sian conducting a comprehensive three-day inspection of the site.
