Maldives Travel Guide
The Maldives is a group of low-lying coral islands, forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls, situated south west of Sri Lanka. A small percentage of the islands are inhabited and 87 are exclusively resorts, boasting tropical landscapes hugged by picture-perfect beaches festooned with palm trees. The myriad islands are surrounded by coral reefs enclosing shallow lagoons.
The Dhivehin people of the Maldives are descended from an ethnic mix of Aryan, Negroid, Sinhalese, Dravidian and Arab cultures. The history of the area was dominated by a succession of bids for control that began with Muslim rule in the 12th century. The Arabs were later supplanted by Portuguese then the British, until 1965 when the Maldives finally achieved full independence as a sultanate. All Maldivians are Sunni Muslims and their lifestyle follows the traditions of Islam. Traces of ancient beliefs have endured in the form of superstitions centred on evil spirits.
Note
On December 26th 2004 a massive earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale struck off the west coast of Indonesia. The quake created a tsunami – a series of huge waves that spread destruction across many parts of Asia and reached as far as the east coast of Africa. The shallowness of the water surrounding the Maldives restricted the force of the tsunami but several of the islands have been destroyed by flooding. Many luxury resorts will be closed for months. Those wishing to travel to the Maldives should check with a relevant tour operator, tourist board or embassy for the latest advice prior to travel.
The culture of maldives is replete with the ways of the sea farers who settled on the islands.Traditional music and dance performances are not everyday affairs, however there is a strong, impregnable and highly adaptive contemporary Dhivehi culture which has survived even in the face of such all pervading foreign influences ranging from Bollywood movies and Oriental martial arts to western music and Moslem fanaticism.
Music and Dance
The bodu beru is the best known form of traditional music and dance. It derives its name from a big drum by the same name. In the tourist resorts it is put on with great elan for a local culture night. It is featured by a gradual increase in the tempo of the dancers ending up in a rhythmic frenzy. Four to six drummers accompany the performance in an ensemble, and the beats as well as the sound have strong African influences.
Cultural events in the resorts often feature impeccable performances by local rock bands. These are basically cover bands playing the popular numbers with great virtuosity, but sometimes they do come up with original compositions. While performing for a local audience these bands embark upon an intricate blend of rock and bodu beru , with lots of percussion and extended drum solos. Music shops in Male’ are stuffed up with records and cassettes of these local bands.
Cuisines
Fish and rice make up the staple food of Maldivians; meat is taken only on special occasions. In fact, the Maldivians have a fetish for fish- fried fish, fish curry and fish soup are the National dishes. Your after-dinner mint is substituted by areca-nut (an oval nut chewed with betel leaf, cloves and lime). Alcohol is available only in the resorts. You can have a sip of “raa”, the local brew, which is a sweet toddy tapped from the crown of the palm trunk.
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