Charaideo, also known as Che-Rai-Doi (meaning “the shining city on the hills” in the Ahom language), is a historic town located in the Charaideo district of Assam, India. Established in 1253 CE by the first Ahom king, Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha, it served as the first capital of the Ahom kingdom. Although the capital was later moved to various cities throughout the 600 years of Ahom rule, Charaideo remained a symbolic center of Ahom power in Assam. Today, it is renowned for its extensive collection of maidams (tumuli), which are burial mounds containing the remains of Ahom kings and members of the royal family.
