Culture of the Maldives
Culture of the Maldives
Culture of the Maldives : Maldives has been established as a prime spot to visit for a beach vacation, this beautiful island nation is listed as top 6 bucket-list vacation spot by Forbes. The Maldives is an ideal beach destination for friends, couples and family to spend a vacation.
As you are planning to visit the Maldives for a vacation, it is important to know that Maldives has a rich history and culture which you will experience while on your vacation.
Here are some of the notable historical facts about the Maldives and the cultural heritage of its inhabitants.
Brief historical notes of the Maldives
According to the legend, a Sri Lankan Prince and his wife stopped by the Maldives during their journey and were asked to stay and rule the land. The Mal divian natives have strong ancestral roots tracing back to India and Sri Lanka, according to the recent archaeological findings. The archipelago was inhabited as early as the 5th Century BC by Buddhist people probably from Sri Lanka and India.
The Maldives was a popular stopover location on busy trade routes due to its abundance in coconut, dried fish and precious cowry shells which were formerly used as currency at the time. The islands were visited through the centuries by traders from Arab Countries, Malaya, Madagascar, Indonesia and China.
According to tradition, an Islamic scholar named Abul Barakaath Yoosuf al – Barbari introduced Islam unto the island after saving the chief’s daughter from death. Also, there was the influx of Portuguese that tried to impose Christianity when they forcibly established themselves in Male from 1558 until their expulsion in 1573.
In the 17th century, the Maldives was a sultanate under the protection of the Dutch rulers of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and after the British took possession of Ceylon, the island became a British protectorate.
This status was formalized in 1887 when the Sultan of the Maldives signed a deal with the British Government, it was agreed that an annual fee will be paid to the British Government in exchange for military protection, but the local will have full control of their administration. This introduced the British influences unto the islands that lasted until 1965 when the Maldives attained full political independence from the British.
The last British troops left Maldives on March 29, 1976, the date thereafter celebrated as Independence Day in the Maldives.
In 1968, the sultanate was abolished and a republic inaugurated. The Maldives became a member of the Commonwealth in 1982. In 2008, a new constitution was adopted to modernize and democratize the Maldives as a way to improve human rights and the system of governance.
Maldivian way of life
Dhivehi (also known as Maldivian) – an Indo – European language is the official language of the Maldives widely spoken around the islands, other languages spoken on the archipelago include Arabic, Hindi and English.
The culture on the islands of the Maldives islands is heavily influenced by Indian, Sri Lankan, Persian, Indonesian and African elements. This mixture of culture makes the islands an interesting melting pot of traditions and cultural heritage.
The Maldivians are inherently very kind and welcoming people, they life a simple life which heavily revolves around the sea. In the mornings, the men wake up and go out to sea to fish while the women stay back to take care of the home. Later in the evening, the inhabitants gather to sort the day’s catch for the women to cook.
In the Maldivian economy, fishing plays a big part. Tuna is often sold to the companies that process and packed them to be exported.
Musical Influences
The African influence in Maldivian Culture can be witnessed in the sound of their music, these tunes have clearly discernible East and South Africa rhythms which is evidenced by their famous Bodu Beru dance who movements and accompanying songs have resemblance to Eastern Africa.
Religion
Once upon in time, Buddhism was widely practiced in the Maldives. However, Island is currently the only accepted religion in the Maldives. You are likely to see a lot of mosques in the Maldives more particularly in the capital, Malé.
Because of the religion, there is no alcohol or pork on the mainland. However, holiday resorts have special dispensation to serve guests about whatever they want.
The religion also guides how they dress which is predominantly conservative, all visitors swimming at the main beaches are to be dressed accordingly. However, there are bikini beaches on the holiday resort where you can dress as you like.
Cuisine
The local people eat mostly sea food which they harvest from their waters, the most common fish caught and eaten on the archipelago includes tuna, snapper and lobster. Also, they consume their super – delicious coconuts, mangoes and pineapples cultivated on their islands.
The traditional meals are hot and spicy and consists of curries, soups and dishes normally accompanied by rice.
