How Kalhu Hutthubey conjured a fanditha for migraine.

ކަޅުހުއްތުބެއަކީ، ވަރަށް އާދައިގެ މީހެކެވެ. ދިރިއުޅުމަށްޓަކައި ކުރާ މަސައްކަތަކީ، ރުއްއެރުމެވެ. އޭނާއަކީ، އެހެން މީހެއްގެ ކަމަކާ ނުބެހި ހަމަހިމޭނުން ދިރިއުޅޭ މީހެއް ކަމަށް ވިޔަސް، އޭނާގެ އަމާން އޮމާން ދިރިއުޅުމާމެދު ހަސަދަވެރިވާ ބަޔަކު އުޅުނެވެ. އެމީހުންގެ ރޭވުމުގެ މަތިން، ފަޅުގައި އޮތް ދޯންޏަކުން އޭނާ ވައްކަންކުރިކަމަށް ބުނެ، މައްސަލައެއް ކޯޓަށް ހުށަހެޅި އެވެ. މައްސަލަ ތަޙުޤީޤުކޮށް ބެލިއިރު، އެބުނާ ވައްކަމެއްގެ ހާދިސާ ހިނގި ރޭ، ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ އޮތީ ގޭގައި ނިދާފައިކަން ވެސް އެނގުނެވެ. ނަމަވެސް، މައްސަލަ ބެލި ގާޒީއަކީ، ހަކުރު ބަތްތަށްޓަށް ޝަރިއަތްކޮށް، ރުއްޖެހި ނޫޓަށް ނިޔާއިއްވާ ލުއްޗާއެކެވެ. މައްސަލަ ހުށަހެޅި މީހުން އޭނާއަށް ދިން ނޫޓްކޮޅެއްގެ ބަދަލުގައި، އޭނާ ނިޔާ އިއްވީ މާލެއިން އުތުރު ރަށަކަށް ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ އަރުވާލުމަށެވެ. ބުނެވޭ ގޮތުގައި އެއީ ގޮއިދޫ އެވެ. ނުވަތަ މަކުނުދޫ އެވެ.
ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ، އަރުވާލަން ނިޔާ ކަނޑައެޅުނު ރަށަށް ފޮނުވާލެވުނު ދުވަހު، އަނބިދަރީންނާ ސަލާންގަލާން ކުރުމަށްފަހު، އޭނާ ދިޔައީ ނޯށުން ރޮމުންނެވެ. އެއަށްވުރެ ހިތްދަތި ހިނދުކޮޅެއް، ދުވަހަކު ވެސް އޭނާގެ ހަޔާތުގައި ނާދެ އެވެ.
ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ، އަރުވާލި ރަށަށް ގޮސް އުޅޭތާ މަހެއްހައި ދުވަސް ވެފައިވަނިކޮށް އެއްރެއަކު ދެނަމާދު ދޭތެރޭ ވަގުތެއްގައި، މީހަކު ތެޅެމުން ފޮޅެމުން އޭނާގެ ގާތަށް ދިޔަ އެވެ. އެއީ، ބޮޑު ކަމެއް ޖެހިގެން ވަރަށް ބޮޑަށް ހާސްވެފައިވާ މީހެއްކަން އޭނާ އުޅުނު ގޮތުން ކަޅުހުއްތުބެއަށް އެނގުނެވެ. އެމީހަކީ، އެރަށު އެންމެ ކަމުވޮށިވެގެންވާ މީހުންގެ ތެރެއިން އެކެކެވެ. އެއީ މުއްސަނދި އަލީ އެވެ. އަލީ ދިޔައީ، އޭނާގެ އަންހެން ދަރިއެއްގެ ބޮލުގެ އެއްފަޅީގައި ރިއްސާތީ އެވެ. އެކަމަށް އޭނާ ނުކުރާ ބޭހެއް، ނުދޭ ފަރުވާއެއް ނެތެވެ. އޭނާގެ ދަރިފުޅުގެ ބަލި ހާލު ކިޔައިދީ، އެކަމަށް ފަންޑިތައެއް ހަދައިދިނުމަށް ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭގެ ގާތުގައި އޭނާ އެދުނެވެ.
ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ބުންޏެވެ. “ތިމަންނާއަކީ ފަންޑިތަ ދަންނަ މީހަކީމެއް ނޫނެވެ. ތިމަންނާ ފަންޑިތައެއް ނަހަދަމެވެ.”
މުއްސަނދި އަލީ ބުންޏެވެ. “ތިޔައީ ހުވަދުއަތޮޅު މީހެއް ނޫންހެއްޔެވެ؟ ކޮންމެވެސް ކަމެއް ކޮށްދޭށެވެ!”
ހުއްޓުމެއްނެތި އަލީ އާދޭސްކުރަން ފެށުމުން، ކޮންމެވެސް ކަމެއް ކޮށްދޭން ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ގަސްތުކުރި އެވެ.
ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ބުންޏެވެ. “ތިމަންނާ ފަންޑިތަހަދައި ނޫޅުނެއްކަމަކު، ތިމަންނާގެ ކާފައަކީ ފަންޑިތަވެރިއެކެވެ. ބޮލުގެ ރިހުމަށް ކާފަ ހަދައިއުޅޭ ފަންޑިތައެއް ހަނދާން ވެއްޖެ އެވެ.”
މުއްސަނދި އަލީ ބުންޏެވެ. “އަވަހަށް ތިޔަ ފަންޑިތަ ހަދައިދޭށެވެ! ތިޔަ ފަންޑިތަ ހަދަން ބޭނުންވަނީ ކޮން އެއްޗެއް ހެއްޔެވެ؟”
ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ބުންޏެވެ. “މި ފަންޑިތަ ހަދަން ބޭނުންވާނީ، އެންމެ އެއްޗެކެވެ. އެއީ މިރަށުގައިވާ އެންމެ ދިގު ރުކުގެ ބޮންތީގެ ފަންވަތެކެވެ.”
ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ޢިޝާނަމާދުން ފައިބައިގެން ގެއަށް ދިޔައިރު، އެ ފަންވަތް ހިފައިގެން ގޮސް އަލީ އެގޭގައި ހުއްޓެވެ. ކަޅުހުއްތުބެއަކީ، މާގިނަ އެއްޗެއް ދަންނަ މީހެއް ނޫނެވެ. އަލްޙަމްދާއި އިޚުލާޞް، ފަލަޤި، ނާސް، ތިން ސޫރަތް ނޫން އެއްޗެއް ޤުރުއާނުން ވެސް އޭނާއަކަށް ނޭނގެ އެވެ.، ލިޔަން ކިޔަން އެނގެނީ ވެސް ހަމަ ކިރިޔަކިރިޔާ އެވެ އެހެންނަމަވެސް ފަންވަތެއް ލިއުމުގެ ގޮންޖެހުމާ ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ކުރިމަތިލީ ނުހަނު ހިތްވަރާއެކުގަ އެވެ. އަށިމައްޗަށް އަރާއިނދެ، ވަރަށް ފަރުވާތެރިކަމާއެކު، ވަޅިއެއްގެ ތުނޑުން އޭގައި އަލްޙަމްދު ލިއުނެވެ. އޭނާއަށް އެކަން ކުރެވުނީ ވަރަށް އުނދަގުލުންނެވެ. އެކަމަށް ދެ ގަޑިއެއްހާ އިރު ހޭދަވި އެވެ. ފަންވަތް ލިޔެ، އޭނާއަށް އެނގުނުހައި ހެޔޮއެއްޗެއް ކިޔައި، އެއަށް ފުމެލުމަށްފަހު، މުއްސަނދި އަލީ އަށް ފަންވަތް ދީފައި ބުންޏެވެ.

"ތިންދުވަސް ވަންދެން ދަރިފުޅުގެ ބޯ، މި ފަންވަތުން ބަނދެފައި ބަހައްޓާށެވެ!"މުއްސަނދި އަލީ ގޮސް އޭނާގެ އަންހެން ދަރިފުޅުގެ ބޯ ފަންވަތުން ބަނެވެ

އަނެއްކޮޅުން ކަޅުހުއްތުބޭ ގޮސް އެރީ މިސްކިތަށެވެ. ދަމުނަމާދުކޮށްގެން، އެކުއްޖާގެ ބޮލުގެ ރިހުމަށް ޝިފާދެއްވުންއެދި، އޭނާއަށް އެނގުނު ގޮތަކަށް ދުޢާކުރަން އިނެވެ. ނާ ގެއަށް ދިޔައީ ފަތިސްނަމާދު ކޮށްގެންނެވެ މާތް ﷲ ގެ ހެޔޮ ރަޙުމަތްފުޅުން، މުއްސަނދި އަލީގެ ދަރިފުޅުގެ ބޮލުގެ ރިހުމަށް ފުރިހަމަ ޝިފާ ލިބުނެވެ. ހެނދުނު އިރުއެރިއިރު، އެކުއްޖާގެ ބޮލަކު ނުރިއްސަ އެވެ.
މައިގްރޭން
މައިގްރޭން (Migraine) އަކީ، ބޮލުގެ އެއްފަޅީގައި ރިއްސުމެވެ. މިބަލި ޖެހިފައިވާ މީހުންގެ ބޮލުގައި ރިއްސާއިރު ހޮޑުލަވައިގަންނަ ގޮތް ވާނެ އެވެ. އަދި ބޮލުގައި ރިއްސާއިރު އަލިވުމުން އެމީހުންނަށް އުނދަގޫވާނެ އެވެ. އާންމު ގޮތެއްގައި މައިގްރޭންގެ އުނދަގޫ ކުރިމަތިވަނީ، 25 އަހަރާއި 55 އަހަރާ ދެމެދުގެ މީހުންނަށެވެ. ފިރިހެނުންނަށްވުރެ ގިނައިން އަންހެނުންނަށް މިކަން ކުރިމަތިވެ އެވެ.
މައިގްރޭންގެ އުނދަގޫ ކުރިމަތިވަނީ ކީއްވެގެންކަމެއް މިހާތަނަށް ސާފުކޮށް ހޯދިފައެއް ނެތެވެ. ނަމަވެސް، އެކަން ކުރިމަތިވަނީ، ސިކުނޑީގެ މަތީގައި، ބޮލުގެ ނާށިގަނޑުން ބޭރުގައި (ބޮލުގެ އިސްތަޑި ފެޅި ހިސާބުގައި) ވާ ލޭހޮޅިތައް ފުފި، އެހިސާބުގައިވާ ނާރުތަކުގެ ކޮޅުތައް ފިތިގެންކަން އެނގިފައިވެ އެވެ. އަދި ނިދިމަދުވުމުންނާއި، މާގިނައިން ނިދުމުންނާއި، ގަދަ އަލީގައި އުޅުމުންނާއި، މޫސުމް ބަދަލުވުމުންނާއި، ބައެއް ކާބޯތަކެތި ކެއުމުންނާއި، ވަކި އުމުރެއްގައި އަންހެނުންގެ ހަށިގަނޑުގެ ހޯމޯނަށް އަންނަ ބަދަލުންނާއި، އަންހެނުންގެ މައްސަރުކަންތައް ފެށޭއިރު، މައިގްރޭންގެ އުނދަގޫ ކުރިމަތިވާކަން އެނގިފައިވެ އެވެ.

Ihavandhoo man arrested on suspicion of performing black magic

Ahmed Nazeer; Jan 5th 2013
Police have arrested a 46 year-old man living on the island of Ihavandhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll on suspicion of performing black magic.

Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef today told Minivan News that a man had been arrested Thursday (January 3) on the basis of reports received by authorities.

According to Haneef, the suspect was brought before a judge to decide on his detention period, with the presiding court granting police 10 days to detain the suspect.

Haneef said that lots of tools that could be used to perform black magic, such as documents, books and other materials were found at the suspect’s home.
Local media has reported that the man arrested was believed to be the Imam of the island.

An Ihavandhoo Island councillor has told local media that the suspect, originally from Fuvamulah, had moved to the island of Ihavandhoo last year December.

The councillor alleged that after the suspect arrived on the island, fears had risen among islanders that he had been performing black magic.

The councillor pointed to rumours that had been circulating since the suspect’s arrival on the island that disturbing incidents had been occurring on the island.

Back in June last year, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) arrested an opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist on charges of practising black magic.

The Activist’s arrest at the time was made just days after the MPS had raided the MDP protest camp at Usfasgandu on the basis of “suspected black magic performed in the area”.

A warrant released at the time approved the raid on the basis of evidence alleged to include that people at the site had previously thrown a “cursed rooster” at Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers.

A case is also presently being heard in the country’s courts concerning the murder of a 76 year-old male alleged to have been a sorcerer, whose body was discovered with with multiple stab wounds on the island of Kudahuvadhoo in January 2012.

Back in 1953, Hakeem Didi was executed by firing squad along with some alleged accomplices after they were found guilty of conspiracy to murder by black magic.

The case was the last time the Maldives judicially executed a criminal suspect.

via :  http://minivannews.com/society/man-arrested-on-suspicion-of-performing-black-magic-50445

ސިހުރު ހެދުމުގެ ތުހުމަތުގައި އިހަވަންދޫން މުދިމަކު ހައްޔަރުކޮށްފި

ފަޒީނާ އަހުމަދު

05 ޖެނުއަރީ 2013

ހއ. އިހަވަންދޫގައި ސިހުރު ހަދަމުންދާ ކަމުގެ ތުހުމަތުގައި މުދިމަކު މިދިޔަ ބުރާސްފަތި ދުވަހުގެ ރޭ ހައްޔަރުކޮށްފި އެވެ.

ފުލުހުންގެ މީޑިއާ އޮފިޝަލަކު ވިދާޅުވީ މުދިމު ހައްޔަރުކޮށްފައިވަނީ ސިހުރު ހެދުމަށް ބޭނުންކުރާ ކަމަށް ބެލެވޭ ގިނަ ތަކެއްޗާ އެކުގައި ކަމަށެވެ. އޭނާގެ ބަންދުގެ މުއްދަތު 10 ދުވަސް އިތުރުކޮށްފައިވާ ކަމަށް ފުލުހުން ބުންޏެވެ.

އިހަވަންދޫ ކައުންސިލް މެމްބަރަކު ނޫހުގައި ނަންނުޖެހުމަށް އެދި ބުނީ މީގެ މަހެއްހާ ދުވަސް ކުރިން ފެށިގެން އެ ރަށުގައި ދިރިއުޅެމުން އަންނަ ފުވައްމުލަކު މުދިމު ހައްޔަރުކޮށްފައިވަނީ އޭނާ ސިހުރު ހަދާ ކަމަށް ރަށު ތެރޭގައި އަޑު ފެތުރި ބިރުވެރިކަން އުފެދިފައިވަނިކޮށް ކަމަށެވެ. ސިހުރު ލިޔެފައިވާ ކަމަށް ބެލެވޭ ފޮތްތަކާއި އެ ނޫން ވެސް ސާމާނާ އެކު އޭނާ ހައްޔަރުކޮށްފައިވަނީ ރައްޔިތުންގެ ގިނަ ބަޔަކު އޭނާއާ ދޭތެރޭ ސިހުރުގެ ތުހުމަތުކުރަނިކޮށް ކަމަށް ވެސް ކައުންސިލަރު ވިދާޅުވި އެވެ.

"އަޅުގަނޑަށް ވެސް މައުލޫމާތު ލިބޭ ރަށުގައި ކިޔާ އަޑު ކުޑަކުއްޖަކާއި ރަތް ހެދުންލައިގެން ހުންނަ މީހަކު ފެންނަނީއޭ. މި ކަހަލަ ވާހަކަތައް ވަރަށް ބާރު ސްޕީޑެއްގައި ރަށުގައި ފެތުރިފައި ވަނީ. އެކަމަކު ކައުންސިލަށް ރަސްމީކޮށް އެކަމުގެ ޝަކުވާއެއް ހުށަހަޅާފައެއް ނުވޭ،" ކައުންސިލަރު ވިދާޅުވި އެވެ.

އިހަވަންދޫ ކައުންސިލުން ބުނި ގޮތުގައި މުދިމު ހައްޔަރުކުރި އިރު އޭނާ އަކީ އެ ރަށު މިސްކިތުގެ ވަގުތީ މުދިމެކެވެ. ކައިވެނިކޮށްގެން، ދެ ދަރިން ވެސް ތިބި އެ މީހާ އިހަވަންދޫގައި އުޅޭ ސަބަބެއް ކައުންސިލަށް ވެސް ނޭނގެ އެވެ. ކައުންސިލަރު ލަފާކުރައްވަނީ އޭނާ އެ ރަށަށް ބަދަލުވީ ދެ ދަރިންނަށް އެ ރަށު ސްކޫލުން ކިޔަވައިދިނުމަށް ކަމަށެވެ. އާއިލާއާ އެކު އެ ރަށަށް ދިޔަ ފަހުން ދެ ގެއަކަށް މުދިމު ބަދަލުވިއިރު، އޭނާ ހައްޔަރުކޮށްފައިވަނީ އެ ރަށު ބަޔަކާ އެކު ގެއެއްގައި ދިރިއުޅެނިކޮށް ކަމަށް ކައުންސިލުން ބުންޏެވެ.

ކައުންސިލުން ބުނީ ޑިސެމްބަރު މަހުގެ ކުރީކޮޅު އެ ރަށުގައި ވޮލީ މުބާރާތެއް ހިނގަމުން ދިޔައިރު، އޭނާ ވަކި ޓީމަކަށް ސިހުރު ހެދިކަމުގެ ތުހުމަތުތަކެއް ކުރި ކަމަށެވެ. އެ މުބާރާތަށް ފަހު، ރަށު ތެރޭގެ ބިރުވެރިކަން އިތުރުވެގެން ދިޔަ ކަމަށް އެ ރަށުގެ ބައެއް މީހުންގެ ވާހަކަތަކުން އެނގިފައިވާ ކަމަށް ކައުންސިލަރު ވިދާޅުވި އެވެ.

Superstitious Beliefs

SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS
Superstition had been an outstanding component of the Maldivian culture and it was so in Maradhu island as well. This is for the most part due to the very nature of the islands and its society. However with the introduction of modern medicine and rapid evolution of the social development towards globalization has left many people of this belief in doubt and seems to be fading away from the society very fast.
In an island society, isolated from the rest of the world by vast seas, superstition and superstitious beliefs could play a vital role in the day-to-day life of its inhabitants.
For Maldivians, belief in the supernatural had, in the past, provided solutions for the most basic problems of survival.

FANDITHA & SIHURU

Fanditha is a generic term used to define certain traditional medical practices, magic and some astrological applications. It is curative and/or preventive. Today fanditha is most commonly used to bring good luck, for the fulfillment of ‘desires of the heart’, and for success and prosperity. It is also used in the performance of exorcism, in cases of possession by jinni. Fanditha can be used to cure diseases, protect one from evil spirits etc. A Fanditha spell can take the form of a charmed amulet, worn around the waist or upper arm, a glass of water to be drunk by the afflicted; incantations recited over the afflicted etc.
Sihuru (black magic) is causative and harmful. Sihuru is essentially employed to cause mischief and harm. It could be employed to drive a person insane, cause illness, inflict bodily harm or actually kill a person. Sihuru spells too, can take many forms. It can be a morsel of food fed to the victim, a coconut buried in the hearth, a black charm buried in the cemetery etc. The performance of sihuru is an offense under law and could result in severe punishment.

JINNI

Being a Muslim society, belief in the jinni is universal in the Maldives. It is believed that jinnis were created out of fire, and endowed with supernatural powers. Although normally invisible to the human eye, exponents in fanditha, and sihuru, and those possessed by these entities, are said to be able to see and communicate with them. In the traditional society, a special formula was recited before anything was thrown away, for fear of hitting a jinni that may happen to be lurking in the vicinity. Occasionally these entities are said to possess people. When this happens, the fanditha man was summoned and the offending jinni exorcised.

DHEVI

Dhevi is a generic term for spirits capable of possessing people.

VIGANI

Vigani was the ancient lord of death. It is said to inhabit both land and sea. It is said to be fond of rot and putrefaction. Although it is known to kill and devour human beings, the vigani mostly feeds on putrid meat and fish. It is believed that when the vigani haunts an island a single colored rainbow with, one end resting on the island and the other on the distant horizon, can be observed from the sea. This is supposed to be one of the most dangerous and frightening spirits in the Maldivian pantheon.

HANDI

Handi is spirit that takes the form of a fair woman with long disheveled hair, and is usually dressed in red. It is said to be able to travel at great speeds and harm people if disturbed. It is mostly seen in the afternoon or evening. The color red is associated with handi. When afflicted, the victim can be driven insane.

BABURU KOYYAA

This is an evil spirit that manifests mostly at night. It resembles a small, dark child and when disturbed causes harm to people. This is one of the most common forms of haunting in the country. It may manifest in almost any place, especially on dark nights.

FEREITHAA

Fereithaa is a generic term for a certain type of unpleasant spirit. It is malevolent and foul smelling. It can appear in any form and has eyes on the top of its head.

AVAHTEHI

This is a female spirit which appears in ragged clothes and long unruly hair. According to local beliefs, although invisible to the normal human being, an avahtehi can be domesticated to perform certain household chores. It is believed that these creatures can and do befriend humans. Avahtehi is a form shifting spirit.

KANDAMATHI EDUN

Kandamathi Edun is a phenomenon peculiar to the sea. It is known to afflict seafaring travelers. It manifests in diverse forms; a glowing ball of light, a dead body with the shroud, a ship full of lamps, breakers, reefs or even a heavy shower of rain. (It should be noted however, that in all cases the rainwater is salty!) When possessed it manifests, usually in one of these forms, around the vessel. In extreme cases, it is known to even manifest on the vessel itself. If the possession is from the rear of the vessel, the speed is favorably affected while; a forward manifestation drastically reduces it.

via:  http://www.maradhu.net/superstitious.html

Ritual Drawing on Palm Leaves - Yantra Drawings

ENDANGERED CULTURAL ARTIFACTS

ENDANGERED CULTURAL ARTIFACTS
Ritual Drawings on Palm Leaves
A Vital Link with the Past
L S D Pieris
Yantra Drawings
Yantra drawings on palm leaves, which have traditionally been in the custody of kattadiralas, have not been conserved by them with care, and our inheritance is fragmentary.   Kattadiralas are priests who practise rituals of healing and rituals of revenge, and being folk artists as well, prepare yantras according to prescribed rules and consecrate them with prayers and magic incantations.
The term ‘yantra’ is derived from the sanskrit ‘yantr’, ‘to bind’, from the root ‘yam’, and is the general term for idols, figure drawings, pictures, or geometrical designs used in rituals.  Models for yantras are in ancient palm leaf manuscripts which belong to the tantric tradition.  Some of these documents have been irretrieveably lost.  Some forms are undeciphered, some symbols are unrecognised and consequently some aesthetic and philosophic values remain uninterpreted.
The yantra drawing constitutes an unique artistic tradition.  It is a confession of the frailty of the human condition and at the same time proof of man’s readiness to defend himself; it is a testament of belief and like all ritual art, a manifestation of man’s craving for the transcendent.  There is a world view expressed in art, and yantra art is no exception.  The drawings are linked to myths and through them to ancient astronomy, astrology, numerology and other occult arts which formed the system of metaphysical thought of the ancient and medieval world.
Uses of the Yantra
Yantra drawings are charms used for protective and curative purposes and for soliciting boons.  They are also used in sorcery, for kattadiralas perform huniyam (kodivina) and claim to direct spirits to harm or destroy enemies.  The spells are usually intended to create disorders of the nervous system, paralysis, impotence, insanity or death.   This is the most secret category of the occult arts and even the identity of the officiating kattadirala is not disclosed.
Figure Drawings
Figure drawings on palm leaves include drawings of deities (devas) yaksas (devils), demons (raksas) and other spirits.  These belong to Veddah, Yaksa, Vedic, Brahmanic, Hindu or Buddhist traditions.  Some figures are portrayed with multiple heads and arms or animal features.  Other figures are grotesques with distorted bodies where the human eye seeks to close gaps.  Nagas are considered to be beings with supernatural powers.  They are usually depicted as cobras with one or multiple heads, and sometimes in human or partly human form.  These distorted features are characteristic of ancient Indian art and are suggestive of hidden mysterious forces governing the universe.
Figure drawings bear a distinctive stamp which mark them as belonging to the indigenous aesthetic tradition; they are more restrained than Dravidian icons (statues and drawings) and lack the sensuality of later North Indian ones.  Although we borrowed many cultural elements from India, they were changed in the process of adaptation and reinterpreted.  Some fragmented figures are suggestive of surrealism with its exploration of the irrational, the unconscious and the dream.  Distortion and other expressionist traits are prominent.  The drawings belonging to this category work at the subconscious level and have the power to surprise and disturb.  Some forms look like psychotic art, the products of fractured states of mental health.  The artist has created his own universe when he competed with reality in his depiction of man’s struggle against death.
The Resemblance to Figures in Paintings
Some palm leaf drawings of individuals and groups of figures have the appearance of murals executed on a diminutive scale.  Perhaps they were based on paintings on walls of temples and devales which are no longer extant.  In certain drawings, deities are depicted in an architectural framework like statues in temples and devales.  These could be representations of statues of a bygone age as is thought to be the case with certain manuscript illustrations in India (Miniatures of the Pala Dynasty in Bengal of 8th-11th Centuries ACE).
The Resemblance to Figures in Flags
Palm leaf drawings have influenced the shapes of figures and symbols on traditional flags, banners, standards, and other heraldic devices.  The sun, moon, elephant, lion, peacock and other insignia are, as in drawings on the palm leaf, distorted out of proportion in the style of caricatures; notwithstanding, they are vibrant symbols of power and authority.  These grotesques possessing symmetry and rhythm have been copied by craftsmen and are still being copied in jewellery, brassware, wall plaques and recently in batiks.  Small figures on palm leaves are highly distorted owing to their scaled down size and the difficult drawing surface.  Birds even resemble insects and are scarcely identifiable.
The Well-springs of Ritual Art
Those who are educated solely in the European art tradition will not find it easy to understand or appreciate these art forms that emanate from an entirely different tradition.  These forms co-relate several spiritual streams originating long ago.   They include primitive spirit cults, Veddah, Yaksha, Vedic, and Brahmanic beliefs and Hindu and Buddhism tantrism.  The drawings are proto-historic expressions.   This accounts for the grossness of the divine forms,  the deification of animals, the worship of trees, the abundance of serpents, and the depiction of man-eating demons.  The figure drawings are dehumanised, being extra-mundane, and are melodramatic, for the myths which at times they illustrate assumed concrete form in a bygone age ruled by cosmic terror.
However, faces of deities are expressionless.  This is appropriate as deities are ruthless in their detachment to human suffering for even they cannot extinguish it.   “The supreme indifference to weal and woe which is inherent in the forces of nature is mythologically personified in the impassive semblances of the gods”.   Their expressions befit their status of hostages to the ritual.  The ritual artist claims to use magic to control the forces of nature, to release human beings from the anguish of time and to maintain the equilibrium of the universe.
The demonic forces are man’s savage instincts.  They are emanations from man’s sub-conscious and represent the dark side of human nature.  Man uses art to exorcise these “evil spirits” and turn them into material forms.  In this way he frees himself from their control and gains his independence.
Sacred Geometry - the Magic of Space
The geometrical designs used in yantras are symbolic representations of the universe which contains the spirit world.  The purpose of the drawings is to give a tangible form to the spirit world in order to gain control over it through rituals.  The method of preparing geometrical yantras and of identifying the numerals or syllables which activate them are described in sanskrit solokas (metrical compositions).  When yantras are made to meet the specific needs of an individual, the horoscope is consulted and determines the framing of the mantra which may be expressed in numbers or syllables.   Calculations are made from formulae based on cosmic movements.
Symbols
Symbols are a pictorial script and expressed the same truths as philosophy and myth.   Symbols play an important part in rituals, as suggestion is the dominant artistic and social function of art.  From very early times, the artist made extensive use of symbols, signs, and figurative representations: the sun was stylised into the swastika, and the serpent into the meander; the circle was the symbol of time, and the square the symbol of order.
The Design Elements
Yantras offer a variety of motifs and design elements.  Ananda Coomaraswamy was of the view that Sinhala art showed more of the characteristics of  early Indian art than did any Indian art surviving on the mainland of India at the beginning of the 19th century.  He claimed to have identified several archaic design elements in Sinhala art related to the Egyptian, Assyrian and Hellenistic elements of very early Indian art.   He also identified certain other elements which he thought might have been derived from the art of the pre-Sinhala inhabitants of the island.  Some of the design elements in the yantras may well be indigenous to Sri Lanka, but only future comparative research will be able to establish this.  The illustrated palm leaf manuscripts of ritual priests may contain useful information on this aspect, as some rituals originated in very early times.  The most likely areas for fruitful investigation will be representations of clay images, leaf altars and leaf screens which are lineal descendants of the earliest forms of iconography and ritual decoration used in the remote past.  These were used chiefly in the conciliation of arboreal deities in vegetative fertility rites.
The Mantra Sastra - the Magic of Words
Incantations used in order to activate yantras are in mantra language.  In Sri Lanka, mantra language is of three kinds.  Some mantras are incomprehensible to the noninitiated as the words have no known meaning.  Others are in known languages and are invocations to deities or other spirits.  Bija (seed) mantras which are incorporated in yantras are sacred syllables.  Each deity has a syllable which is instrumental in resurrecting partial aspects of the deity.  It is a component part of the total mantra.  Every mantra is a form of Brahman, the Godhead.
Numerology - the Magic of Number
The culture of ancient India was essentially oral, and gave the ‘Word’ an elevated status with metaphysical power.  However the occult arts assumed that there is a relationship between the word, number, colour and musical tone and used a system of numerology which converted sounds to numbers.  Each syllable in the Sinhala language is given a number which enables any word to be expressed in numbers.  Certain yantras use numerals instead of words.  The numerals form an unity or a part of a series embodying harmony.
Myths
Yantra drawings incorporate myths containing important information about the past.   Myths are sometimes shorthand accounts of revolutionary transformations consequent on invasions and religious, social and dynastic changes - the raw material of history.   Myths however alter with time and attempt to justify existing social systems.   They account for traditions, rites and customs.  A study of myths will help us to understand the meaning of life as conceived by our ancestors and bequeathed to us.   The yantra drawings, being based on myths, speak to us from the past and must be preserved for future generations, as the past is patrimomy and not cultural refuse, while the drawings constitute a record of our cultural and psychological matrix.  They address the unconscious, the collective identity and ethos of the nation.   Furthermore, the yantra still survives both in village and in town as a living tradition, for it continues to satisfy deep psychological needs for security and for revenge; by so doing, it perpetuates the living power of myth, ritual and rite.
Yantra Kavi books on palm leaves containing the techniques of fashioning yantras, also describe pictorial yantras used for the purpose of securing protection.  These yantras illustrating myths differ when there are different versions of the same myth.   Pictorial yantras are too elaborate to be inscribed on palm leaves and had to be inscribed on metal plates.  Hugh Nevill, who researched ola manuscripts in the 19th century, makes the following observation; “If the villagers who keep such yantra kavi a strict secret, could be induced to part with them, much most ancient lore would be recovered, as the drawing or design preserves the myth unaltered.  They are however quite averse to even to own to knowing such protecting verses and drawings.”
The Tantra Sastra
The Yantra Sastra came to Sri Lanka from India where it formed part of the Hindu and Buddhist tantric traditions.  The yantra drawings cannot be dated with any accuracy and are copies of older drawings which have themselves been copied.  These forms on palm leaves are varying recensions of archetypal formulae whose dates of fixation are in a remote antiquity.
The Buddhist form of tantrism known as Tantrayana established itself in India about the 8th century ACE and came to Sri Lanka from Nalanda about this time.  Two tantric schools, the Nilapatadarsana and the Vajravada were introduced to Sri Lanka in the 9th century ACE.  We are unaware as to when Hindu tantrism reached this country.  In Sri Lanka, as in India, tantrism gave way to orthodox religious practices and what remains of tantrism are practices related to magic and witchcraft.
The five essentials used in orthodox tantric rituals were wine, meat, fish, parched grain, and women.  The use of these aids were considered necessary to overcome the impediment called rebirth or sansara.  Tantrism originated in India as aboriginal folk cults and its rites were considered by the orthodox as primitive, dangerous, and irrational.  They were modified in Sri Lanka under the influence of the Theravada but left its mark on culture.  Although its effects would have been felt from very early times, tantric rites were reintroduced during a series of immigrations from South India between the 13th and the end of the 18th century to the south west of the island.  Tantric influence reasserted itself in the Kandyan kingdom, when the Vadiga kings of Kandy introduced magic ceremonies from the Telegu country.  Today the centres of magic and witchcraft are coastal towns such as Matara, Tangalla, Gandara and Bentota, and novices are drawn to these centres of the black arts to graduate under professional sorcerers.

In Sri Lanka the influence of Buddhist and Hindu tantrism is in evidence in the mantra sastra, the yantra sastra, purification ceremonies, other ritual arts, at Hindu temple festivals, and in Hindu phallic worship.  Sanskrit text books from India on architecture, arts, and crafts, which have influenced the arts in Sri Lanka, reflect this bias.  The hold of tantrism is therefore evident in ceremonies connected with the building and consecration of temples, statues, houses and other buildings.
These artifacts, as it were, form a time capsule speaking to us across the ages.   They are fragments of a past civilisation, in some ways very different from ours, but in other ways having affinities with our life and thought.  These fragments have to be rescued before they disappear into the night of time for they are rare survivals and their study is likely to afford fresh insights into our pre-history and psychological make-up.   If they are not rescued from anonymity and decay, we shall lose a living link with the past.  They are a means of our coming face to face with our roots, the primordial sources which acted upon our way of life and thought and art.
The palm leaf manuscripts on the yantra sastra are an unclaimed legacy which await the attention of the art historian, the archeologist, and the social scientist.
The Sapumal Foundation has a small collection of figure and geometrical drawings on palm leaves extracted from palm leaf manuscripts on the yantra sastra.  These have been loaned to the Foundation from a private collection and can be viewed by visitors by prior arrangement.  Those interested should apply in writing to the Secretary, Sapumal Foundation.
http://www.artsrilanka.org/essays/ritualdrawings/index.html

DRP attempted to kill cabinet with “sorcery”

Adhaalath party has alleged the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) used “sorcery” to try and kill the president and his ministers during the underwater cabinet meeting on 17 October.
A statement published on the party’s website on Thursday says that a sorcerer was hired despite the party learning from an astrologer and a fortune teller that the president and the ministers would emerge from the water unscathed.
“The black magic of their sorcerer to make sure the cabinet members don’t emerge from underwater failed,” it reads.
It adds that the sorcerer prayed at Bahaa’udheen mosque with his back to the qibla in an “unclean state” at 11.30am on the day of the dive for help from “jinns and shaitans [devils]”.statement goes on to say that DRP was “jealous” and resentful of the cabinet’s history-making dive and its leaders “shed tears” when they watched the event on television.
It further mocks DRP’s alleged claim to overthrow the government on 3 November, saying DRP could not bring down a government it did not vote for but was rather elected by other people.
Speaking to Minivan News today, DRP MP for Thohdhoo Ali Waheed said Adhaalath party seemed to have a faction called “Adhaalath Kids”, in the manner of TVM’s and DhiTV’s children programme “TVM Kids” and “DhiKids”, to issue such “stupid press releases”.
“Maybe they used such tactics to win last year’s presidential campaign,” he said. “So, like thieves and fools, thinks all others are such. Adhaalath party leadership are just trying to make news in order to dissolve the current religious issues in the country.
“Just one question to them. Last year they questioned Madam Nasreena’s buruga [former first lady who does not wear the veil]. So why not question Madam Laila’s [current first lady who does not wear a veil] buruga rather than creating such stupid releases!” he said.
“Extremist party”
Another press release issued on Thursday by Adhaalath party states that DRP was an “extremist party” that revolved around one individual, referring to its leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
“While Ali Waheed said the Adhaalath Party is run for the benefit of just three people, has he forgotten that DRP is an extremist party that is run for the benefit of one individual?” it reads.
At a press conference on Thursday, DRP MP for Thohdhoo Ali Waheed said Adhaalath existed to protect the interests of just three people: Islamic Minister Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, State Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and Hussein Rasheed Ahmed, the party’s president.
Ali Waheed said he talked about how Adhaalath was not doing anything to combat irreligious elements in society.
“I said there is an idol in a restaurant near the president’s office and we even have photos of it,” he said.
The Adhaalath Party was trying to justify their lack of action by saying they were conducting investigations, he added, which never yielded any results.
“Their answers are what a politician would say, not people who want to protect religion,” he said.
Waheed said he was not overly concerned with the Adhaalath Party’s statements to the media.
“There’s not even an office boy in this country that was elected from the Adhaalath Party,” he said. “We are in the much happier situation of being elected by the people.”
He added it was likely that the press releases attacking DRP were drafted by the three senior members of Adhaalath party.
“Jealous”
The Adhaalath press release states that the call for prayer was stopped for “one individual” and religion was “distorted” to serve his purposes.
“The state system was demolished and the treasury was emptied for him, parliament was paralysed and he tried to control the judiciary,” reads the Adhaalath press release.
It adds that the party was spreading falsehoods for the sake of one man and it seems to have forgotten “article nine of the evasion bill”.
The press statement goes on to say that there have been positive developments in religious matters since the Adhaalath Party took over the Islamic ministry.
Laws have been made and enforced against prostitution at massage parlours that went on with the authorisation of the DRP government, it continues, and the religious sermons that went unchanged for thirty years have been improved.
“Today we are hearing the truth from religious scholars who can speak freely now. The incarceration and torture of religious scholars has stopped,” it reads.
The Adhaalath Party functions on the principle of discussion and consultation, it reads, and DRP was “jealous” of its success in religious matters.
Unlike DRP’s leaders, it adds, Adhaalath’s leaders were elected in a popular vote and DRP’s numerous efforts to destroy the party were unsuccessful.
“It would be wise to accept defeat,” it reads. “God willing, religion could never again be used as your property or as a shield against any threat that faces you.”
It urges the Maldivian people to beware of the remarks of people like Ali Waheed who had “sold their souls”.
by Ahmed Naish, Minivan News