Culture of the Maldives

Theculture of theMaldivesis derived from a number of sources, the most important of which is its proximity to the shores ofSri LankaandSouth India. The population is mainly Indo-Aryan from the anthropological point of view. Islam is considered the religion of the country and only Muslims can become legal citizens.
TheDhivehi languageis of Indo-IranianSanskriticorigin and therefore closely related toSinhala, which points at a later influence from the north of the subcontinent. According to legends, the kingly dynasty that ruled the Maldives in the past has its origin there.
These ancient kings may have broughtBuddhismfrom the subcontinent, but it is not clear. In Sri Lanka, there are similar legends, but it is improbable that the ancient Maldives royals and Buddhism came both from that island, because none of the Sri Lankan chronicles mentions the Maldives. It is unlikely that the ancient chronicles ofSri Lankawould have failed to mention the Maldives, if a branch of its kingdom had extended itself to the Maldive Islands.
Since the 12th century AD, there have also been influences fromArabiain the language and culture of the Maldives, because of the general conversion toIslamat that time, and its location as a crossroads in the central Indian Ocean.
In the islands' culture, there are a few elements ofAfricanorigin as well, from slaves brought to the court by the Royal family and nobles from their Hajj journeys to Arabia in the past. There are islands like Feridhu and Maalhos inNorthern Ari Atoll, and Goidhu inSouthern Maalhosmadulhu Atollwhere many of the inhabitants trace their ancestry to released African slaves.
The status ofwomen in the Maldiveswas traditionally fairly high, as attested to in part by the existence of fourSultanas.Womentypically wear theveil, but are not required to do so by law nor are they strictly secluded. Special sections are reserved for women in public places, such asstadiumsandmosques. Women do not accept theirhusbands' names aftermarriagebut maintain theirmaiden names.Inheritanceof property is through both males and females.
Women have always had an important role in the family and community. In the early history of Maldives, it was not uncommon to have a woman as a Sultana or ruler and it has been suggested that Maldivian society was once a matriarchy.
In today's society women hold strong positions in government and business. A large percentage of government employees are women. The male-to-female ratio of enrollment and completion of education to secondary school standards remains equivalent. Women serve in both the cabinet and the Parliament.
Maldivian culture shares many aspects of a strongmatriarchaltradition with ancient Dravidian culture. A unique feature of Maldivian society is a very highdivorcerate, which has been attributed by some as due to early marriage. Others have seen this extremely high divorce rate as reflecting the combination of liberal Islamic rules about divorce and the relatively loose marital bonds that may be produced by the lack of a history of fully developed agriculture and the accompanying codes of agrarian honor and property relations.
Polygamy in the Maldivesis legal, though such unions have been reported to be very uncommon. Even so, fifty-ninepolygamousmarriagestook place in 1998.Polygamyis also specifically covered by a 2001Maldivianlaw, which orders courts to assess a man's finances before letting him take another wife.
Prostitution in the Maldivesis illegal and foreigners who engage inprostitutioncan expect to be deported andMaldivianscan expect a prison sentence.
Homosexuality in the Maldiveswas criminalised in the 1880s.
Public holidays in the Maldivesinclude both civilian dates and Islamic religious holidays.
The cuisine of Maldives is mainly fish as the fishing industry is the second-largest industry in the country. Daily meals include rice and fish, the most common foods, with fish being the most important source of protein in the average diet. In the past very few vegetables were eaten due to a lack of farming land in the country. Most food served in tourist resorts is imported. On ceremonial occasions, meat other than pork is eaten. Alcohol is not permitted except at tourist resorts. Basic commodities such as rice, sugar, and flour are imported. A popular Maldivian dish isgarudhiya, afish brothwith rice, typically eaten with rice, fried or grilled fish,chili pepper, lime, onions, garlic and theluli faiy (friedmonringa leaves).In addition to this, people in the Maldives eat roshi (flatbread) with Kulhi mas (fresh tuna cooked with chili and spices),Mas huni(canned tuna, onion, grated coconut, lime juice and chili),Rihaakuru(tuna-based thick sauce) anddifferent types of curry.
The Maldives holds a rich art and craft heritage such as Mat weaving, rope weaving etc.
The Maldivian folklore is the body of myths, tales and anecdotes belonging to the oral tradition ofMaldivians. Even though some of the Maldivian myths were already mentioned briefly by British commissioner in CeylonHCP Belltowards the end of the 19th century,their study and publication were carried out only quite recently by Spanish writer and artistXavier Romero-Frias, at a time when that ancestral worldview was quickly disappearing.
Culturally, Maldivians feel some affinity toNorthern Indiathrough their language, which is related to the languages of North India. Most older generation Maldivians like to watch Hindi movies and listen to Hindi songs. Many popular Maldivian songs are based on Hindi tunes. 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 to a Hindi song.Bollywoodsongs are among the most popular songs in Maldives, especially the old ones fromMohammad Rafi,Mukesh,Lata Mangeshkar, andAsha Bhonsle. Therefore, most local Maldivian dances and songs are based in (or influenced by) North IndianKathakdances and Hindi songs.
The favourite musical instrument of Maldivians is thebulbul tarang, a kind of horizontal accordion. This instrument is also used to accompany devotional songs, likeMaulūdandMaadhaha. TheBodu Beru(literally "Big Drum") drumming performances are said to have African roots.