Culture of Maldives

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Culture & People of Maldives

The culture of Maldives is a combination of many cultures - Cultures brought by the sea farers who settled in Maldives . The influence of the British and the Islamic religion has made Maldives into a melting pot of many different cultures .

population
According to the latest estimates (July 2004), the population of Maldives is 339,330 . Only 202 islands of the 1190 islands are inhabited . The population of Male is growing as the locals come here in search of employment and better opportunities. It has grown so much over the past decades that the government has extended Male to include Vilingili Island . The Vilingili Island is being developed as an urban area to accommodate the growing population of Male.

Language
The main language spoken in Maldives is Dhivehi , a language believed to have its origin from Sanskrit. With the passing of time, and the influence of Islam and the British, the language has evolved to add more Arab and English words to its vocabulary.

Thana , the present Maldivian script was invented in the 16th century and has 24 letters. Unlike other scripts, Thana is written from right to left. This was done because of the increased use of many Arabic words in the Dhivehi language.

Family Life

Traditionally, the family life in Maldives consists of the men going out for fishing and during the day and the women taking care of the affairs at home. The men often spend whole days out at sea which leaves the women with the responsibility of taking care of all the affairs of home as well as the community.

The community is close-knit and forms a safety net for any family going through a hard time. Like in India , extended families help look after the kids in addition to the parents.

Religion

Maldives is a predominantly Islamic nation . In the bygone eras, before 1153, Buddhism was the main religion being followed. In 1153, a scholar converted the king to Islam, and since then the whole country of Maldives has been practicing the religion of Islam. Who the Scholar was is still a question with many answers but nothing definite.

All the main Islamic festivals are followed here with great fervour, with the young and old all participating in the celebrations. Religious education is part of life for all and Islam is considered as a part of the school curriculum and taught with the same zeal as for other subjects.

Art & Craft

The marvelous craftsmanship of the Maldivian is most evident in their architecture of their tombs and mosques . The old cemeteries are filled with intricately carved tombstones. Raw materials found locally are deftly carved and produced into lovely craft products.

Most of these crafting skills are passed down through the generations keeping alive the beauty of the intricate art. Verses from the Holy Quran are intricately carved out on the walls of the mosques. This art calligraphy is strongly connected with Islam. Some of the best samples of the art of calligraphy are found in the Islamic Centre.

Some crafts have become obsolete with time, and some have found a revival with the growth of Tourism. The awareness about the conservation of the environment has led to the decline in the sale of products made with Tortoise shells and black coral.