Besides their origins, the other peculiarity of the inhabitants of the Maldives lies in their attachment to the sea. During the day, women take care of the home while men go fishing for tuna.
The way of life of the Maldivians depends very much on the sea. When the fishermen return, the inhabitants gather on the beach to collect the catch that will be cooked by the women. In short, sea fishing takes an important place in the economy of the archipelago in addition to tourism.
As for religion, if the Maldivians were originally Buddhists, today Islam is the only religion allowed. You will have the opportunity to contemplate a high number of mosques especially in the capital, Male.
The Islamic center and the sultan's park are among the must-see attractions and will delight lovers of beautiful architecture.
As well as handicrafts, you can bring back from your Maldives trip, braided mats, and various jewelry. You will also find beautiful lacquered vases and small wooden boats evoking your beautiful walks in the sea.
Also think of bringing back, in your luggage, one of these beautiful shells to keep an inexhaustible memory of your holidays in the Indian Ocean.
The cuisine of Maldives mostly involves fish as the main source of protein. Most meals include rice and fish. Fishing is the second biggest industry in the country. Meat other than pork is consumed on certain ceremonial occasions.
Food for tourists is mostly imported. Vegetables are almost absent in the cuisine of the Maldives as the country has the little arable land to grow vegetables.
Rice, sugar, and flour are some of the basic commodities that are imported to the Maldives from other countries. The guduguda is an elongated pipe that is smoked by the elders. The raa is a local brew that is consumed widely.
Music and dancing is an integral part of the culture of Maldives and is heavily influenced by North Indian music and dance. Bollywood films, films of the Indian film industry based in Mumbai, are extremely popular among the people of the Maldives.
The language of the country being related to the northern Indian languages makes this affinity for Indian music and dance quite natural. Songs of Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh, Asha Bhonsle, all notable Indian singers, are enjoyed by the people in the island nation.
The North Indian kathak dance and Bollywood dance moves also shape the dance forms in the Maldives. The bulbul tarang is a popular musical instrument played in the island nation.
Football is the most popular sport in the Maldives. The locals adore the game and young boys and men can often be observed playing football in their locality. Tennis, basketball, baseball, badminton are also some of the other sports played in the country.
The presence of beautiful and expansive beaches means that the country is a hub for many types of aquatic sports and beach activities. Jet skiing, windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, diving, swimming, parasailing, and beach volleyball are some of the sports activities which attract a large number of tourists to the country from across the world.
Adventure activities like bungee jumping, gliding, and rock-climbing, are also popular in the country.
The freedom of religion is severely restricted in the Maldives. Islam is the nation's state religion and is the only religion allowed to be practiced by the Maldivians. Non-Muslims are not allowed to vote, hold public positions, or be the citizens of the country.
The President of the country must be a Sunni Muslim. Foreigners are not allowed to worship publicly in the country if they are adherents of any other religion. Islam being the state religion of the Maldives, Islamic festivals are the only religious festivals celebrated here.
The people of the island celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan with great festivities. The Prophet’s Birthday is another Islamic festival observed in the nation and involves visits to the mosques for prayers.
The National Day, held on the first day of the lunar calendar’s third month, is celebrated with parades and marches held across the country. Republic Day is held on November 11 and celebrates the foundation of the Republic of Maldives.
" Its a place to be" - Martin from Canada
