Charaideo was the first capital of Ahom Kingdom that has its etymological roots in numerous linguistic homonyms (Tai: Che Tam-Doi Meaning: Che=town, Tam=Foot-Hill, Doi=Hill/Mountain). Charaideo was established by the first Ahom king Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1228 and it is at a distance of 30 km from Sibsagar town of Assam of the Sibsagar-Simaluguri Road.

As history states that Ahom Kingdom had been moved many times, Charaideo remained the symbolic centre all through. The place is amicably characterised by sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens and is also the abode of ancestral Gods of the Ahoms. One is reminiscent of the Pyramids of Egypt while witnessing the tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens at Charaideo hillocks and the objects of wonder revealing the exceptional architecture. The same brings to the fore the contemporary skill of the sculptors and masons of Assam of the medieval days. In the 17th century, many of the Moidams were robbed by Mir Jumla and in the later period, some of the kings including Rajeswar Singha (1751 to 1769 AD) were cremated and their ashes were buried in the Moidams.

The actual number of Moidam has exceeded 150 but only 30 Moidams 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 often visited by encroachers and so are going to be damaged. The biggest unprotected Maidam is the Bali Moidam near Nimonagarh.

This Maidam is called Bali Maidam, because while British plundered it, they got obstruction from excess sands (Bali) in the surrounding of the Moidam. The site has had some archaeological works but also has suffered from robbers. There have been calls for the site to be UNESCO World Heritage listed.

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