In Progress

Ethnicity

The origins of the Maldivian people are shrouded in mystery. The First settlers may well have been from Sri Lanka and Southern India. Some say Aryans, who sailed in their reed boats from Lothal in the Indus Valley about 4,000 years ago, probably followed them. Archeological evidence suggests the existence Hinduism and Buddhism before the country embraced Islam in 1153 A.D.Not surprisingly, the faces of today’s Maldivian display the features of various faces that inhabit the lands around the Indian Ocean shipping and maritime routes, the Maldives has long been a melting pot for African, Arab and South East Asian mariners.

Language

The language of the Maldivians is Dhivehi, a language which is placed in the Indro-Indian group of languages. Dhivehi with its roots in Sanskrit and according to some researchers Elu, an ancient form of Sinhala, (spoken in Sri Lanka), is strongly influenced by the major lanuguages of the region. The language has been influenced heavily from Arabic since the advent of the Islam in 1153 and English in more recent times, especially since the introduction of English as a medium of education in the early 1960s.

Given the wide dispersion of islands it is not surprising that the vocabulary and pronunciation vary from atoll to atoll, with the difference being more significant in the dialects spoken in the southernmost atolls.

The Maldivian script known as thaana was invented during the 16th century soon after the country was liberated from Portuguese rule. Unlike former scripts thaana is written from right to left. This was devised to accommodate Arabic words that are frequently used in Dhivehi. There are 24 letters in the thaana alphabet.

Family Life

The close-knit island communities practice mutual aid to survive difficult circumstances. A system of extended families provide a safety net for members of a family going through a difficult period. In addition to the parents other members of the family also contribute in the care of children. Traditionally men go out fishing during the day and women are responsible to look after the affairs of the family and vary often the community. This remains so even today in smaller island communities.

Religion

Since Maldives embraced Islam in 1153, Islam has been central to the life of Maldivians. The main events and festivalss of Maldivian life follow the Muslim Calendar. From infancy children are taught the Arabic alphabet. Religious education is provided both at home and at school. Islam is part of the school curriculum and is taught concurrently with other subjects.

Food

Maldives being at an important crossroad in the Indian Ocean, traders and visitors over time have left their mark on Maldivian cuisine in addition to contributing towards the moulding of the country’s culture and norms.

As the Maldives comprises more sea than land, it is only natural that fish (mainly tuna) have always been the most prominent element of Maldivian food. However, with travelers from different parts of the world, new seasonings and vegetables were introduced in to the country and added to the existing (limited) repertoire of seafood and tubers (e.g. taro & sweet potato). Each new discovery was incorporated into the diet in quantities most palatable to Maldivians. Thus Maldivian cuisine now comprises Arabic, Indian, Sri Lanka and Oriental tastes blended into a unique cuisine that embodies a culinary identity of its own.

SPORTS

Bandiyaa Jehun

Bandiyaa Jehun is a more popular form of dance performed by young women. The women carrying metal water pots stand in two lines facing each. They sing and dance to melodious tunes while taping the rhythm on the pots with rings worn on the fingers.

Although western pop and Indian music is quite popular today, traditional forms of music and song that have been passed down to us by our ancestors survive. Raivaru, farihi and bandhi are all unique styles of singing that are still practiced by people around the country.

Bashi is an ancient game played only in the Maldives and is the most popular sports played by women . It was traditionally played with a hand-woven bashi (made from coconut palm leaves) by two teams of about 11 women.

During the time of the country’s first President, Mohamed Amin Didi, a modernised version of the sport by using a tennis ball instead of the hand-woven ball was introduced . Later the coconut tree wooden bat was replaced with a tennis racket and now the sport is a favorite throughout the country.

Bashi is played on a tennis like court. A woman is facing backwards to the opposite team, stands with her back to the net and serves a tennis ball over her head backwards. On the other side of the net a team of girls try to catch the tennis ball. Broken fingers are very common.

BOKKURAA RIDING

A bokkura (Dhivehi: ބޮއްކުރާ) is the smallest type of boat commonly used in Maldives. It has slight similarities to adhoni, but is smaller in size, holding just two or three individuals,^[1]and without lateen sails. A bokkura usually has a set of oars, and was traditionally used for fishing near reefs or to commute between the shore and anchored fishing or trading vessels^[2]especially before there were any jetties on the Maldives.^[3]

Fali’Jehun (Man propelling a small vessel using traditional oars):

Fali’Jehun (Man propelling a small vessel using traditional oars):
In the Maldives for hundreds of years vessels were powered either by sails, or the mechanical work of oarsmen, or paddlers. Some ancient vessels were propelled by either oars or sail, depending on the speed and direction of the wind, in the modern days it’s rare to spot this method of propelling a boat but as you see in the picture, even today some islands of the Maldives is practicing this ancient method.

Bodu Beru

Bodu Beru is the most popular form of music and dance in the country, enjoyed by the young and the old, men and women. There is a Bodu Beru troupe in almost every inhabited island and is regularly played at special functions and festivalss.

The musical instruments used in Bodu Beru consist of three or four drums and a variety of percussion instruments. The drums are made from hollowed coconut wood and covered on both ends with manta ray skin or goat hide. A lead singer chants the lyrics and a chorus of 10 to 15 follows as they clap to the beat of the drums. The rhythm build as the song continues until it reaches a frenzied crescendo.

As the rhythm picks up, dancers come out from amongst the troupe swaying to the rhythm. As the beat becomes faster the dancers leap and jerk to the beat as if in a trance. Onlookers join in the clapping and dancing. Old men, suddenly catch a stray rhythm and throw themselves into the arena. To wild applause from the crowd they gyrate and grimace in their dance, passing on to the young what they have learnt from their forefathers. According to some historians Bodu Beru was introduced to the country in the early 19th century by African slaves. During the reign of Mueenuddeen I these slaves were liberated and sent to Feridhoo in Ari Atoll. It is believed that bodu beru spread out from there to become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the country.

Literally meaning “ Big Drums ” in Dhivehi – “Bodu“ for Big and “Beru“ for Drums, the Bodu Beru is a reminder of Maldives multi-ethnical influences with strong roots from East Africa.

Although the exact period of the first drums arrival is still not clearly defined, Maldivian historians have estimated it around the 11th or 12th Century AD, with the arrival of African brought by the Arabs seafarers on their route to Asia. Many West Africans arrived and settled in Maldives where they have let a strong musical influence amongst others.

The tradition has survived the centuries and modern influences. These impressive “Big Drums” are widely played everywhere in the Maldives and can often be heard from far away, from island to island.

Bodu Beru can take various forms and set up.

Baibalaa is men sports, presupposing tough contact, when one team’s player is trying to get into a circle, to touch an opponent and to leave the circle before he is caught and probably injured by his opponents.

Thaara

Thaara also holds a special place in local entertainment. Two lines of men attired in white sit on the ground and sing beating hand drums while others dance between them. Thaara is believed to have been introduced from the Middle East in the seventeenth century. Today Thaara is only played at national events.

Dhandijehun

Dhandijehun is another form of entertainment, which is popular throughout the country. This is mostly performed to celebrate festive events such as Eid and other national occasions.