Hinduism in Maldives
Encyclopedia
There were certain Hindu traditions in ancient Maldives. Before conversion, the religion of Maldives was Vajrayana
Buddhism
which was heavily influenced by Hinduism
. There are archaeological remains from the 8th or 9th portraying Hindu deities, like Shiva
, Lakshmi
and sage Agastya
.
The Maldivian Folklore contains legends about sage Vashishta. Vashishta is known locally as Oditan Kalēge, a mighty sorcerer. Oditan Kalēge's wife is a beautiful woman called Dōgi Aihā who possesses a fiery temperament and who is as powerful sorceress as her husband. Her name is derived from the Sanskrit word Yogini
.
It is not really known why the last Buddhist king of Maldives embraced Islam. The importance of the Arab
s as traders in the Indian Ocean
by the twelfth century A.D. may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of Maldives
took this decision. The king thereupon adopted the Muslim
title and name (in Arabic) of Sultan
(besides the old Divehi title of Maha radun or Ras Kilege) Muhammad al Adil, initiating a series of six islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-four sultan
s and sultanas
that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective.
According to Merinid traveller Ibn Batuta, the person responsible for this conversion was a Sunni Muslim
visitor named Abu al Barakat hailing from Morocco. However, more reliable Maldivian tradition says that he was a Persian saint from Tabriz
called Yusuf Shamsuddin. He is also referred to as Tabrizugefaanu. His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of the Friday Mosque, or Hukuru miski, in the capital of Malé
. Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in Maldives
.
stories in which the spirit and sorcery theme are not essential, the most significant is perhaps Don Hiyalā and Alifulhu. This story about two good-looking lovers is a much distorted Maldivian version of the Rāmāyana
.
Despite the apparent dissimilarities, the common sequential structure linking the elements of the Maldivian story with the Indian epic (the heroic married couple, the wicked and powerful king, the kidnapping of the beautiful heroine, etc.) is evident.
This is hardly unexpected, for all South and Southeast Asian countries have local Rāmayāna variations and the Maldives is definitely part of the South Asian cultural sphere.
The Indian Diaspora in the Maldives is mainly composed of doctors, teachers, engineers, accountants, managers and other such highly qualified professionals. They have helped the country in the development of its human resources in many sectors. There are also, in the Maldives, a large number of Indian skilled and unskilled personnel namely technicians, masons, tailors, plumbers, and other labourers. They are making a handsome contribution to the development of the country’s permanent assets.
It is interesting to note that there is only one Maldivian citizen of Indian origin in this country. There is a good reason for this. Both historically and commercially, people from the southern coast of India, particularly from Kerala, had been in close and regular contact with the Maldives. But these contacts did not metamorphose into a composite socio-cultural group, perhaps owing to the exclusive Islamic identity of the Maldives and its people.
There are officially no Maldivian Hindus, for the state religion is Sunni Islam
and conversion is not allowed. It is compulsory to be a Muslim for all Maldivians. Maldivian customs laws prohibit import of any idol for the purpose of worship. Recently, there have been an incident where a Maldivian committed suicide after publicly admitted that he is not a Muslim. Nonetheless, there are Hindus in the Maldives, the vast majority of which are of Tamil
or Malayali
origin, who are foreign labour. Unofficially there are no Hindu Maldivians but Buddhist followers are increasing.
movies and like to listen to Hindi songs. The reason is that out of a similar language, similar rhythms and cadences develop. In fact it is very easy for Maldivians to fit local lyrics into a Hindi
tune because of this cultural closeness. For example the Hindi words "Ek din" (one day) become "E kudin" (those kids) in Dhivehi
, and in this manner a new local song develops.
Hindi
songs are the most popular songs in Maldives, especially the older ones from Mohammed Rafi
, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar
, Asha Bhonsle, Pankaj Udhas
, Manhar Udhas
. Therefore most popular Maldivian songs are based in (or influenced by) Hindi songs. Similarly, popular local dances are North Indian dances, especially Kathak
.The local dance of Maldives is called Bodu Beru, usually carried out by men, with bodu beru (drum)a drum-like instrument keeping the beat.
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
which was heavily influenced by Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. There are archaeological remains from the 8th or 9th portraying Hindu deities, like Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
and sage Agastya
Agastya
Agastya was a Tamil/Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also generally credited with uncovering many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Brahman...
.
The Maldivian Folklore contains legends about sage Vashishta. Vashishta is known locally as Oditan Kalēge, a mighty sorcerer. Oditan Kalēge's wife is a beautiful woman called Dōgi Aihā who possesses a fiery temperament and who is as powerful sorceress as her husband. Her name is derived from the Sanskrit word Yogini
Yogini
Yogini is the complete form source word of the masculine yogi- and neutral/plural "yogin." Far from being merely a gender tag to the all things yogi, "Yogini" represents both a female master practitioner of Yoga, and a formal term of respect for a category of modern female spiritual teachers in...
.
It is not really known why the last Buddhist king of Maldives embraced Islam. The importance of the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s as traders in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
by the twelfth century A.D. may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
took this decision. The king thereupon adopted the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
title and name (in Arabic) of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
(besides the old Divehi title of Maha radun or Ras Kilege) Muhammad al Adil, initiating a series of six islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-four sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
s and sultanas
Sultana (title)
The term Sultana is an Islamic title reserved for a few Muslim women rulers in history. It is sometimes mistaken for the title of the chief wife of a Sultan.-Overview:The most famous Sultana was Razia Sultana of India....
that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective.
According to Merinid traveller Ibn Batuta, the person responsible for this conversion was a Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
visitor named Abu al Barakat hailing from Morocco. However, more reliable Maldivian tradition says that he was a Persian saint from Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
called Yusuf Shamsuddin. He is also referred to as Tabrizugefaanu. His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of the Friday Mosque, or Hukuru miski, in the capital of 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...
. Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
.
Don Hiyala and Alifulhu
Among the Maldivian folkloreMaldivian Folklore
Maldive Mythology or Maldive Folklore is the body of myths, tales and anecdotes belonging to the oral tradition of Maldivians. Even though some of the Maldivian myths were already mentioned briefly by British commissioner in Ceylon HCP Bell towards the end of the 19th century, their study and...
stories in which the spirit and sorcery theme are not essential, the most significant is perhaps Don Hiyalā and Alifulhu. This story about two good-looking lovers is a much distorted Maldivian version of the Rāmāyana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
.
Despite the apparent dissimilarities, the common sequential structure linking the elements of the Maldivian story with the Indian epic (the heroic married couple, the wicked and powerful king, the kidnapping of the beautiful heroine, etc.) is evident.
This is hardly unexpected, for all South and Southeast Asian countries have local Rāmayāna variations and the Maldives is definitely part of the South Asian cultural sphere.
Indians in Maldives and their status
There are an estimated 9,000 NRIs in the Maldives, according to the census figures computed in the year 2000. This must be considered a relatively high figure, considering that the total population of this country consisting of many islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean is only 269,000 according to the same census http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter1.pdfThe Indian Diaspora in the Maldives is mainly composed of doctors, teachers, engineers, accountants, managers and other such highly qualified professionals. They have helped the country in the development of its human resources in many sectors. There are also, in the Maldives, a large number of Indian skilled and unskilled personnel namely technicians, masons, tailors, plumbers, and other labourers. They are making a handsome contribution to the development of the country’s permanent assets.
It is interesting to note that there is only one Maldivian citizen of Indian origin in this country. There is a good reason for this. Both historically and commercially, people from the southern coast of India, particularly from Kerala, had been in close and regular contact with the Maldives. But these contacts did not metamorphose into a composite socio-cultural group, perhaps owing to the exclusive Islamic identity of the Maldives and its people.
There are officially no Maldivian Hindus, for the state religion is Sunni Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and conversion is not allowed. It is compulsory to be a Muslim for all Maldivians. Maldivian customs laws prohibit import of any idol for the purpose of worship. Recently, there have been an incident where a Maldivian committed suicide after publicly admitted that he is not a Muslim. Nonetheless, there are Hindus in the Maldives, the vast majority of which are of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
or Malayali
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
origin, who are foreign labour. Unofficially there are no Hindu Maldivians but Buddhist followers are increasing.
Cultural affinity in the present day
Maldivians feel some affinity to Northern India through their language, which is related to the languages of North India. Most older generation or traditional Maldivians like to watch HindiBollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movies and like to listen to Hindi songs. The reason is that out of a similar language, similar rhythms and cadences develop. In fact it is very easy for Maldivians to fit local lyrics into a Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
tune because of this cultural closeness. For example the Hindi words "Ek din" (one day) become "E kudin" (those kids) in Dhivehi
Dhivehi language
Maldivian is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by about 350,000 people in the Maldives where it is the national language. It is also the first language of nearly 10,000 people in the island of Minicoy in the Union territory of Lakshadweep, India where the Mahl dialect of the Maldivian...
, and in this manner a new local song develops.
Hindi
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
songs are the most popular songs in Maldives, especially the older ones from Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammad Rafi , was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He was awarded National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India....
, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, Asha Bhonsle, Pankaj Udhas
Pankaj Udhas
Pankaj Udhas is an Indian singer, credited in the Indian music industry, along with other musicians like Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz, with bringing the style to the realm of popular music. Udhas rose to fame for singing in the film Naam , in which his song Chitthi Aayee Hai became an instant hit....
, Manhar Udhas
Manhar Udhas
Manhar Udhas is Hindi and Gujarati language singer. He has given voice for many Hindi movies as playback singer. He is the elder brother of singer Pankaj Udhas and Nirmal Udhas and has worked with Pankaj on albums and Live Shows. Manhar has worked with all the composers of the film world and has...
. Therefore most popular Maldivian songs are based in (or influenced by) Hindi songs. Similarly, popular local dances are North Indian dances, especially Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
.The local dance of Maldives is called Bodu Beru, usually carried out by men, with bodu beru (drum)a drum-like instrument keeping the beat.