Maldivian Attire over the Ages

By Dr. Abdullah Waheed,

During the 850 years of written Maldivian history, the attire of both men and women have evolved, at first slowly, then more rapidly in recent period. The earliest records of Dhivehi attire were the memoirs of Ibn Batuta, who visited the Maldives during 1354-55. At that time Maldivian women went about with their upper body uncovered (Nadheem, 2014).  Those days, men’s attire consisted of foshaa and feyli (see glossary below for the meaning of these words). 

A Maldivian man and girl and man (Pyrard, early 17^th Century)

During the next stage, the men started wearing mundu and ganjufaras. The women started wearing libaas or long dresses with ornamental wide necks. Even then, girls under 15 did not cover their chests. Dresses covering the chest was initiated in a special ceremony when a girl reached the age of puberty (Nadheem, 2014). 

During the 20^th century, when the Maldives began to be exposed to the outside of the world, new ways of dressing began to come in. To the men’s fashion came aygudhu libaas, and shirts. In 1968, trousers became compulsory office wear. Women started wearing faaskuri hedhun.

At the end of 20th century, buruga made its appearance and dominated women’s fashion. Even face veils appeared on the scene. In the opposite direction one could also observe ‘fashion buruga.’ 

The Early Times

 When Ibn Batuta visited the Maldives in the period 1354 to 1355, the men’s clothing was a waist wrapper; they bound this round their middle instead of the trousers and put round their shoulders an article of clothing called wilyan (a foshaa?). Some put on a turban, while others wore a small kerchief. 

The women did not cover their heads, nor did the queen.  Most of them wore only a waist-wrapper, which covered them from their waist to the lowest part, but the remainder of their body remained uncovered. Thus they walk about in the bazaars and elsewhere (Mahdi Husain, 1976).

Francois Pyrard de Laval (1611) who visited the Maldives at the turn of the 16^th century described the attire of Maldives in the following words: “First, the men bind all round their private parts with a broad band of cloth…. Over this they wear a small cotton cloth, dyed blue or red or some other color, reaching only as far as the knees. Above this they wear a large cloth of cotton, or silk, if they be at all rich and well off; this reaches to the ankles, and is belted with a fine square kerchief, embroidered with gold and silk; this is folded in three, drawn round the loins, and tied in front. Then, for braver adornment, they add a little piece of silk of various colors, fine as crape or gauze, and short, not reaching further than the mid-thigh; and after all this they gird themselves with a large silken sash, like their turbans, with pretty fringes, the ends whereof they let hang down in front. The rest of the body from the waist upwards is left naked - I mean by the common folk; for the gentlemen of quality do not so; and yet on festival days they put on their doublets and gowns of cotton or silk, fastened with buttons of gilded copper. All wear on their heads turbans of red, or chequered of various colors.

A Maldivian woman, (Pyrard, early 17^th Century)

“As for the women, first of all they have a large colored cloth of cotton or silk, which covers them from the waist to the ankles, and serves as a petticoat. Above this they wear a robe of taffetas, or of very fine cotton, but very long, reaching to the feet, and with blue and white borders. To give a notion of its shape, I cannot better describe this robe than by comparing it to the chemises which the women wear here in France (Francois Pyrard de Laval, 1611).”

Modern Times
During the 1830s, the ordinary dress of Maldivian men consisted of short drawers with a cloth wrapped round the waist, and another about the head, the waistcloth being twisted into a knot in the front, which is supported by a string encircling the loins. The nobles wore, in addition, an embroidered sash of silk or cotton about the waist, and on Fridays when attending the grand mosque, a kind of shirt (white) reaching to the ankles, with a turban of the same color. The women's habiliments consisted merely of a cloth wrapped round the waist, descending to the knees, which was secured by a string, and a long shirt; also a cloth tied round the head (Young and Christopher, 1836).

An extended Maldivian family (Rosset, 1885)

CW Rosett visited the Maldives in 1885 and left a rich collection of photographs and illustrations depicting Maldivian attire. Those days the ordinary dress of the men consisted of drawers, a cloth bound round the loins, after the mode of the Singhalese, and a handkerchief twisted round the head. On special days, such as Fridays, when they attended the mosque, the high caste wore a shirt and jacket, over which was a kind of long dressing down, coming down and nearly to the feet. The turban was only worn by priests and the sultan.

A Maldivian family (Rosset, 1885)

The women wore  round their waist a cloth (mostly of native manufacture), coarse in texture, of a dark chocolate color, with a border of parallel black and white stripes.  It reached down to the ankles. Over this they wore a kind of loose shirt, or gown, of silk, with short sleeves, reaching nearly to the knees; the openings for the neck and arms were ornamented with embroidery in gold, silver, and silk thread (Carl Wilhelm Rosett, 1887).

During the days of the economic hardship of the Second World War, the traditional clothing of women became unaffordable and an alternative sought (Nadheem, 2014). Under the leadership of Mohammed Amin, the National Language and Linguistics Committee organized a series of debates, the most vibrant of which was that on the question whether the most appropriate attire for Maldivian women was the traditional garb consisting of Dhivehi hedhun, boavalhu libaas, feyli and ruma, or the newly introduced dress, faaskuri hedhun (Naseem, 2012).

A young girl (Rosset, 1885)

According to Dhivehi Wikipedia permission was granted in 1942 to wear faaskuri hedhun (number hedhun) instead of the traditional garb of women.  Following this change, the art of weaving cloth declined and by the late 1940s, it almost disappeared. To revive the art an expert was brought and a batch of students was sent abroad to learn cloth weaving (Liyuntherin ge Gulhun, 2014). 

Women in faaskuri hedhun alongside expat teachers (1960)

Even as late the 1990s, burugaa, the Muslim women’s headgear, was rare in the Maldives. However starting 2000, with freedom given to scholars to preach, burugaa became widespread with 100% adherence in some islands. However, because of the very fast spread, the so called fashion burugaa also appeared on the scene (Dhivehi Mujuthamau, 2008). 

The Present Situation

Black robe and buruga, quite popular during the current era

When the Maldives began to open to the outside world, new fashions were introduced. This included western attire as well as Islamic dresses. An important landmark of this trend was the emergence of trousers as compulsory office wear for men and an appropriate western or Indian dress for women along with matching footwear. During the 1980s buruga was made a compulsory part of the uniform for the Islamic school, Mauhadh (later Arabiyya.)  From these schools buruga spread to the community at large in the 1990s. By 2000 buruga was part of the dress for nearly all women.

Fashion buruga, quite popular during the current era

With such fast spread, not all those who wore buruga adhered to the etiquette that went along with the buruga. As a result the so-called fashion buruga appeared. With such buruga, though the hair was covered, the rest of the body was engulfed in body hugging dresses and jeans, leaving very little to imagination.  What we see on the road today a mix of all these trends.

Glossary:

Aygudhu libaas = A long sleeved shirt with large collars

Boavalhu = Embroidered wide border along the neck of a dress

Buruga = A Muslim woman’s head covering

Faaskuri hedhun = A long gown introduced in the 1940s as a dress for women.

Feyli = A woman’s sarong, usually with black and white lines along the lower border.

Foshaa = A white cloth covering the body

Ganjufaras = A white T-shirt like dress worn by men, often made of thin white cloth.

Hedhun = Dress

Khatib = Preacher

Libaas = A type of long dress

Mundu = Sarong of the type worn in south India, covering the lower body

Ruma = A square piece of cloth usually starched, folded and fixed on a woman’s knot of hair. 

Qazi = Judge

References:

1.      Ahmed Nadheem (2014), Eyraai Mihaaruge Dhivehin: Hedhun Elhun, Haveeru Daily, retrieved 27 Sep 2015 from
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/dhivehi/report/149566

2.      Mahdi Husain (1976) The Rehla of Ibn Battuta - India, Maldive Islands and Ceylon, Chapter 16, English translation,  Oriental Institute, Baroda, India, Retrieved 22 Sep 2015 from http://www.maldivesculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=198&Itemid=74

3.      Francois Pyrard de Laval (1611), The Voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil,  Vol.1 Chapter 13, translated into English by Albert Gray assisted by H.C.P. Bell, retrieved 22 Sep 2015 from < http://www.maldivesculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179&Itemid=75>

4.      I. A. Young and Mr. W. Christopher (1836), Memoir on the Inhabitants of the Maldiva Islands 1834-1835 - pt.1, pp.54-86, 'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society from 1836 to 1838', retrieved 23 Sep 2015 from http://www.maldivesculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=77

5.      Carl Wilhelm Rosset (1887), Carl Rosset in Male', Maldives 1885, Illustrierte Zeitung, retrieved 23 Sep 2015 from http://www.maldivesculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=241&Itemid=77

6.      Ahmed Naseem (2012), Sumuvvul Amir Mohammed Amin Dhoshimeyna Kilegefaanu, Dhiyavaru, Retrieved 22 Sep 2015 from http://ahmednasym.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-post_9.html

7.      Wikipedia Dhivehi (), retrieved 27 Sep 2015 from
https://dv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DE%89%DE%AC%DE%87%DE%A8_12

8.      Morning Post (2014) Dhivehi Raajjeygai feyraan viyan molhah dhaskurumah vihi kudhin India ah, Liyuntherin ge Gulhun, retried 22 Sep 2015 from http://www.liyuntherin.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1913&Itemid=17

9.      Dhivehi Mujuthamau (2008), Dhivehi anhenun burugaa alhaigen oriyaamun, retrieved 27 Sep 2015 from http://dhivehimujthamau.blogspot.com/2008/06/blog-post.html

Maafushi: From fish warehouse to prison island to a successful tourist destination

Translated and adapted by Dr. Abdullah Waheed

In addition to kurumba, there were also savories on the table.  While a Bangladeshi staff was cutting kurumba, Mr. Ibrahim Rasheed, the house owner was leaning on the doorway, waiting for the tourists sun tanning on the white sand. Some of them will buy his wares. Mr. Rasheed’s house which is located on the western beach was where Maafushi’s journey began to become the most successful guesthouse island in the Maldives. This small house was where the island’s most famous guest house ‘White Shell’ was located.

But today it is no longer a guesthouse, rather a boutique where Rasheed sells his wares to tourists. However, when all the beds on the island are occupied, he does take in guests.

“This is a huge development for the island,” Rasheed said, pointing at the tourists sunbathing in the beach and the sea.

“I’ll say that even if one sits with 100 coconuts, one can make enough money to feed a family of two kids,” he said. “We have that much opportunity here.”

Now the question is, how did Maafushi suddenly transform into a popular tourist destination?  The most apt person to answer that question is Ahmed Naseer, the economist who managed White Shell guest house.  According to Naseer, a native of the island, the reason is the large number of islanders who wanted to join the business, their financial capacity and the cooperation they got from the natives.

Naseer got the idea of tourism in a trip to Maafushi in November 2009. After seeing Rasheed’s house nearing completion near the beach, he developed an interest in making a guest house there.  By then the People’s Majlis had passed a law allowing guesthouse tourism. “Since the Majlis had passed legislation, I believed it was possible. So, using my savings and help from a close friend, I converted Rasheed’s house into a guesthouse,” Naseer who was Minister of State for Finance in MDP government said.

When on January 1, 2010, permission was granted to open the White Shell, the very first guesthouse on an inhabited island, Maafushi embarked on its journey to become the guesthouse island.  Five years later, the island has 40 guesthouses with 700 beds.  During the season about a million dollars (Translators note: This figure is questionable.) enter Maafushi every day. This means that the island is the biggest business center in the Maldives outside the capital.

Even Naseer didn’t believe Maafushi could become a tourist destination within such a short time. Even friends laughed when he began to build the guesthouse.  “Friends started laughing, but I decided to take a risk and do it,” Naseer said.

Just one year later, Naseer had made a new guesthouse at his father’s premises.  He managed four guesthouses before leasing out his properties.  “Honestly I must admit I never believed this could be developed so soon,” Naseer said.

Of the forty guesthouses in Maafushi, 38 belong to natives. This shows that they are enthusiastic about the business.

“I am very happy that I could come to an island like this,” said a Singaporean woman who was leaving to experience a resort after spending 3 days in Maafushi with her two kids. “This is a good community. I came here to spend a part of my holidays in an inhabited island.”

“The people of this island are very nice. Very kind,” her elder daughter interjected.

Maafushi now has its own place in the world tourism map.  It is a deviation from the Maldives’ one island one resort concept. The example of Maafushi shows that medium class tourism is viable in an inhabited island.  The name Maafushi is common in famous travel websites and some visitors to the island know of the Maldives in combination with Maafushi.

Maafushi first became famous as the home of fish ware houses. That was during the 1980s and early 1990s.  Later when the central jail was built there the island became famous as Maafushi jail.  But today it is a normal inhabited island in addition to being a “resort.”

“I tried a lot to include Maafushi as a separate city in booking.com,” Naseer said. “I have written to them to do it. Today Maafushi is listed as a separate destination.  I am very satisfied with that.”

While new guesthouses are burgeoning and Maafushi looks forward to reach the target of 1000 beds, the island can be described as a tourist village, with the natives engaged in their normal life and the tourists enjoying the quiet and beautiful environs of the Maldives.

The assistance and cooperation of the islanders was great in transforming Maafushi into a successful tourist destination. The north-west beach and lagoon of the island are now reserved for tourists. It is the most pleasant part of the island.

It is now unlikely that Maafushi will look backwards.  Considering the new guesthouses under construction and the new projects being launched by businessmen, Maafushi tourism is still in the expansion phase.

“From next month onwards, the island will start becoming full,” a guesthouse official said. “I don’t think any room will be available by December.”

Other islands near Male have not shown the success seen in Maafushi.  Even though they too have guesthouses, tourists don’t go there as much as they visit Maafushi. In fact, Hulhumale tourism still lags behind that of Maafushi.

Owning two fishing launches and selling food items to tourists, Rasheed exemplifies the success of Maafushi tourism.  He makes about 100,000 rufiyaa per month, taking tourists fishing, catering to the diving center staff and engaging in other tourism related work.

Maafushi tourism began from ‘Dhonveli Ge’ the small house where Rasheed was leaning against the doorway.  Only five years later prosperity has spread to the whole island.

Translated and adapted from:

Moosa Latheef, ‘mas gudhanun, bodu jalun, mihaaru tourism ge emme kaamiyaabu manzilakah’,  Haveeru Daily, 2015, http://www.haveeru.com.mv/dhivehi/report/177173 , retrieved on 20 September 2015.

The Ponds of Fuvahmulaku

By Dr. Abdullah Waheed

Dhadimagu Kilhi

Fuvahmulaku Island, an isolated atoll in the Equatorial Channel of the Maldives has two fresh water ponds (“kilhi” in the native language.) The two ponds are named Bandaara Kilhi (41 hectares) and Dhadimagu Kilhi (69 hectares). They are features that complete the uniqueness of the island.

According to legend Fuvahmulaku used to consist of multiple islands arranged in ring formation (Hussain Shareef, former Senior Assistant Atoll Chief.)  Over time the islands merged together. During this process two areas remained submerged, which eventually became ponds.

The two ponds of Fuvahmulaku are intimately connected with the population and their life.  In times past, the ponds provided the islanders fresh water fish, a staple part of their diet especially when sea water fish was scarce.  In more recent times the ponds played an important part in local tourism, most visitors to the islands going sightseeing to the location. During 2011 a wider attempt was tried to introduce international tourism to the island, taking the ponds as one of the main attractions.  An access road was constructed and a restaurant opened. However they now lie in ruins.

Most people agree that the ponds must be protected. In fact, now the ponds enjoy legal protection, albeit in name.

References

Mohammed Nasih, “The two ponds of Fuvahmulaku are natural wonders. They require protection,” Sunonline, http://www.sun.mv/sunrashah/fuvahmulah/60887, retrieved on 18 September 2015.

Results of Round 2 of Presidential Election 2013

Round One of Presidential Elections was held on 7th September 2013. However, that election was annulled by the Supreme Court of Maldives.  Later, the First Round was held on 9th November 2013. No candidate secured the necessary 50% plus in this round. A run off was held on 16th November between the two front runners, Mohammed Nasheed and Abdullah Yamin. This blog post gives the details of the votes won by the two candidates, box by box.

The results show a narrow victory for Abdulla Yamin. (51.39% of valid votes cast.) 

This data is being provided for academic purposes only. While all care was taken to ensure accuracy, the author takes no responsibility for any errors. The source of data is the Elections Commission of Maldives. Click here for the detailed results.

The Depopulation of Thinadhoo: A survivor Relates her Tragic Story

It was January 31, 1962, fifty years ago.  Amina Faanu was just 19 years. She was at home with her one-and-half-year old son Mohammed Shakeel and three women. Her husband was on a trip to Addu Atoll. Being morning Amina was busy taking care of Shakeel and attending to domestic chores.  She had no premonition that her life was going to take a sudden precarious turn by sunset.

By then, unknown to her, MV Silver Crest had cast anchor in Thinadhoo. Onboard was Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir accompanied by a battalion of Maldivian soldiers on a mission to quell the second rebellion in Thinadhoo.  Nasir asked the islanders to surrender, but they refused. 

Amina Faanu was jolted by a loud noise followed by a commotion. The noise increased and got closer engulfing the whole island.  When she looked around there was pandemonium.  Soldiers had invaded Thinadhoo and opening fire on the inhabitants.

Results of Round One of Presidential Elections 2013

Round One of Presidential Elections were held on 7th September 2013. However, that election was annulled by the Supreme Court of Maldives. The First Round was eventually held on 9th November 2013. No candidate secured the necessary 50% plus in this round. A run off is scheduled to be held on 16th November between the two front runners, Mohammed Nasheed and Abdullah Yamin. This blog post gives the details of the votes won by the three participation candidates, box by box. This data is being provided for academic purposes only. While all care was taken to ensure accuracy, the author takes no responsibility for any errors. The source of data is the Elections Commission of Maldives. Click here for the detailed results. R1 Results

MDP does not have any factional fights, or does it?

Two weeks back MDP Chairperson Mariya Didi resigned and Party President Dr. Ibrahim Didi promptly assigned Deputy Chairperson Imthiyaz Fahumy to temporarily discharge the functions of the Chairperson. Then all of a sudden, there was a meeting of the Party National Council, which ousted Imthiyaz and appointed hardliner Reeko Moosa Manik as ‘temporary’ (for one year) Chairperson. Reeko promptly announced major policy changes for the internal working of the Party. Despite all these happenings, both Dr. Didi and Reeko insist that there is no factional fighting within MDP. Really?

The drama raises eyebrows for several reasons. For one, how did the National Council (which meets rarely) hold a meeting so suddenly? Who organized it? More importantly who organized the booing against Imthiyaz’s chairing the meeting? Why was Reeko selected for the post when he himself is a candidate for the permanent post of Chairperson? Who gave the mandate to temporary Chairperson to take major policy decisions, while sidelining an elected Party President?

Three years back, former MDP president Dr. Munavvaru told the media that no one can fill the post of MDP President unless he is willing to remain the puppet of party supremo Mohammed Nasheed. One thing is certain. MDP Presidents have been short-lived, be it Ibrahim Ismail or Munavvaru. Only time will tell how long Dr. Didi survives.