Lachit Borphukan Maidam

The Lachit Borphukan Maidam, also referred to as the Lachit Maidam, is the maidam (burial mound) of Lachit Borphukan, a commander of the Ahom kingdom, and the memorial complex built around it. It is located at Hollongapar in the Meleng area near Teok in Jorhat district, Assam, India. The maidam dates from the Ahom period, following Lachit Borphukan's death in 1672, while the surrounding memorial complex was developed by the Government of Assam in the 2020s.

The site is also the location of the Statue of Valour, a bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 March 2024 as part of the Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project. The state government is developing the site as a memorial and tourist destination. The government has also marked Lachit Divas, observed in Assam on 24 November in honour of Lachit Borphukan, at the site.

Background

Lachit Borphukan was a military commander of the Ahom kingdom, which ruled much of the Brahmaputra Valley from 1228 to 1826. He is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat, in which Ahom forces thwarted an attempt by a Mughal army led by Raja Ram Singh I to retake Assam. He died a year later, at the age of 49, of illness.

Description

The maidam is situated at Gohain Gaon in Meleng-Hulungapar, about from the Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. , the Statue of Valour stood in a park under construction that includes the maidam.

History

Ahom period

The Ahoms traditionally buried their kings, queens and nobles in moidams (or maidams), earthen mounds raised over a burial chamber. Charaideo, the first capital of the Ahom kingdom, became the principal royal necropolis. Under Hindu influence, the Ahoms later adopted cremation, although burial continued among certain Ahom priestly groups.

Lachit Borphukan was ill during the Battle of Saraighat, which ended in 1671. After the battle, the Ahom king Udayaditya Singha summoned him to Sivasagar for the victory celebrations, and he travelled up the Brahmaputra towards upper Assam. He died on 25 April 1672 on a boat between Kaliabor and Dergaon.

Charaideo was reserved for members of the royal family, while generals and nobles were buried in separate maidams. As a member of Lachit's family was living at Hollongapar, his funeral rites were performed there. His remains were laid under the maidam by Udayaditya Singha, which was constructed in 1672. The site has since been referred to as the Samadhi Khetra of Lachit Borphukan.

Commemoration and preservation

On 24 November 2016, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the maidam as part of Lachit Divas observances; it was the first time the state government had celebrated the day at the burial site. Sonowal said the State Archaeology Department would take steps to protect the site as a place of historical and archaeological importance.

On 21 November 2021, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the maidam and announced 1 crore for its preservation and development.

Redevelopment

On 25 February 2022, President Ram Nath Kovind launched a year-long commemoration of the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan at Guwahati and, by video link, laid the foundation stone for beautification and repair work at the maidam in Jorhat. At the same event, plans were announced for a memorial complex at Hollongapar, to be developed over 50 bighas of land with an auditorium, guest houses, a museum and a refreshment hall, and a bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan. The plans also included development of a pond near the maidam.

In November 2022, as the state government concluded the year-long anniversary celebrations, work on the memorial was scheduled to begin on 20 November with the handing over of compensation cheques to landowners for land acquisition. The statue was now planned to be tall, at a cost of 175 crore. On 21 November 2022, the construction company Ahluwalia Contracts (India) received an order worth 120.23 crore from the Government of Assam to build the Lachit Moidam Memorial and Cultural Complex at Jorhat.

Before the redevelopment, the maidam site covered about four bighas. The state government added roughly 46 to 47 bighas for the new complex, with land handed over by villagers and compensation paid to the landowners.

Statue of Valour

The statue was installed in the first phase of the development project. It was designed by the sculptor Ram V. Sutar, who also designed the Statue of Unity, and was transported in parts from Uttar Pradesh and assembled at the site. The figure is tall and stands on a pedestal, giving a total height of . Narendra Modi unveiled it on 9 March 2024, taking part in an Ahom ritual during the ceremony.

Second phase

At the time of the unveiling, work on the second phase was under way, including an auditorium with a capacity of 500. The total cost of the project is 214 crore. On 13 December 2024, Chief Minister Sarma inspected progress on the second phase, including a collection centre, an auditorium and an indoor stadium; the maidam and cultural complex was then expected to open in 2025.

Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project

The Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project covers about at Hollongapar and is intended to develop the area as a tourist destination highlighting the history of the region. Besides the statue, the project includes a museum, a 500-seat auditorium and a hostel. The plans also include two museums and accommodation for research scholars.

See also

• Moidam
• Charaideo
• Lachit Borphukan
• Battle of Saraighat
• Statue of Valour
• List of tallest statues

External links

• Lachit Borphukon Maidam at the official website of Jorhat district