See also Giraavaru people

Giraavaru people

The Giraavaru people are the indigenous people of Giraavaru Island, part of the Maldives. Of Dravidian origin, and the earliest island community of the Maldives, their presence predates Buddhism and the arrival of a Northern kingly dynasty in the archipelago.Their ancestors were ancient Tamil...

Giraavaru is an island of Malé Atoll (the administrative Kaafu Atoll

Kaafu Atoll

Kaafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of Kaashidhoo Island, Gahaafaru Atoll, and Malé Atoll...

) nowadays hosting a turist resort. It is located on the southwestern fringe of the lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

 of North Malé Atoll

Malé Atoll

Malé Atoll is a natural atoll of the Maldives. This atoll consists of two separate atolls: North Malé Atoll and South Malé Atoll.Together with Kaashidhoo Island and Gaafaru, Malé Atoll forms the administrative division known as Kaafu Atoll....

. It was inhabited in the past by the community known as Giraavaru people

Giraavaru people

The Giraavaru people are the indigenous people of Giraavaru Island, part of the Maldives. Of Dravidian origin, and the earliest island community of the Maldives, their presence predates Buddhism and the arrival of a Northern kingly dynasty in the archipelago.Their ancestors were ancient Tamil...

 (or Tivaru

Tivaru

Tivaru or Tiyya are said to be the first settlers of the Minocoy island of Lakshadweepa off the Indian mainland.-History:The origin of the Tivaru is unknown. Clarence Malony suggests that they could be Dravidians from southern India...

 people).

Historical and anthropological facts

The Giraavaru islanders had certain customs of their own, the women, for example, used to wear distinctive white cloth patchwork bands on the neckpiece of their libaas dress instead of the usual Maldivian golden or silvery thread designs.

In 1968 the island was depopulated due to heavy erosion and reduction of the community to a few members. The Giravaru people were resettled in nearby Hulhule Island

Hulhulé Island

Hulhulé , located at Latitude 4° 10' 60 N Longitude 73° 31' 60 E, is an island in the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives. It is one of the islands closest to the capital island Malé. The Malé International Airport is located on this island along with some official premises, e.g. Maldivian Bureau of...

, at the eastern edge of the Male' Atoll lagoon. At the time of depopulation there were only a few coconut trees growing on Giraavaru and the water in the wells had become saline.

When the airport at Hulhule was expanded they were relocated in the western end of Maafanu district in Malé.
The Giravaru culture assimilated into the wider Malé society through inter-marriage after only about two generations.

It is unlikely that the Giraavaru islanders were the only early settlers in the Maldives, as it is often clamed on the basis of myths and legends. From the anthropological point of view there were, and still are, other distinctive groups of people in the Maldives, like in Huvadhu Atoll for example, having their particular customs, manners and even speaking markedly different language forms. However, the Giraavaru islanders have attracted much more attention owing to their proximity to the capital.

Malé

Malé

Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...

 islanders and the royal court were fascinated by the distinctiveness of the Giraavaru islanders for centuries and thus they became locally an iconic people group.